U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Over $6.8 Million In Federal Grants To Support Opioid Treatment Programs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that $6,817,676 in federal grants has been awarded to six counties in the Western District of North Carolina to combat opioids, stimulants, and other substances and to support local treatment programs.

The grants were administered by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program. The funding will assist communities with the prevention, diversion, treatment and recovery needs of individuals affected by substance use disorders.

According to provisional data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023," of which 81,083 were due to a synthetic opioid, primarily fentanyl.

"The funding allocated to Western North Carolina will strengthen local efforts to fight the opioid crises and its impact on our communities," said U.S. Attorney King. "These grants further our commitment to work with our local partners to support public health and help build safe and healthy communities."

The six counties below received funding to address the opioid and stimulant crisis and meet the needs of individuals with substance use disorders.

• Catawba County was awarded $1.3 million to support its existing collaborative Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (L.E.A.D.) and Medicated Assisted Treatment (M.A.T.) programs.
• Gaston County was awarded $1,219,877, to support services provided to children and their families in foster care as a result of parental drug use.
• Henderson County was awarded $1,299,000 to supplement funding for its Recovery Community Center and to expand its capacity.
• Jackson County was awarded $998,952, to implement a comprehensive program designed to impact the overdose crisis and community-wide effects of illicit opioid substances.
• Transylvania County was awarded $999,947, to support its Bridging Reentry: Expanding Access to Treatment and Holistic Care (BREATH-C) program, that aims to reduce the impact of substance misuse on justice involved residents.
• Wilkes County was awarded $999,900, to implement a program to increase access recovery support services and to reduce the impact of illicit substances on individuals and communities.

BJA offers funding through a variety of different programs. Visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding

to review currently available grant opportunities and learn about funding webinars.