Maryland has awarded $1.6 million to expand substance use recovery services in rural communities.
The Maryland Department of Labor, in partnership with Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response and the Maryland Department of Health, selected eight community organizations to receive funding through the Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers program, according to a Feb. 27 news release from Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller’s office.
Funded by the state’s opioid restitution fund, the awards will support training, certification and career advancement for certified peer recovery specialists — individuals with lived experience of substance use who use their recovery journeys to help others navigate treatment and support services.
The grantees include:
- Western Area Health Education Center (Cumberland)
- Asian American Center of Frederick (Frederick)
- Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center (Cambridge)
- Mid Shore Behavioral Health (Easton)
- On Our Own of Frederick County (Frederick)
- St. Mary’s County Health Department (Leonardtown)
- Voices of Hope Maryland (Aberdeen)
- Westminster Rescue Mission (Westminster)
RAMP grantees must also collaborate with recovery-focused and other community-based organizations to support outreach and recruitment efforts. In addition, they are required to work with employers that provide internships and job opportunities to individuals seeking certified peer recovery specialist credentials, according to the release.
The program aims to reduce overdose deaths, expand access to services and strengthen the state’s behavioral health workforce in rural areas.
