Senator Murray Applauds Major Grants Awarded to Address Opioid Crisis in Washington State’s Rural Communities

WA state receives $600 thousand through grant program established by Senator Murray to help bolster opioid crisis response in rural communities

Grants will support opioid crisis response efforts of organizations reaching communities across Washington state, including in Snohomish and Jefferson counties

Senator Murray: “I’m glad these grants will provide much-needed support to people and organizations on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in some of our hardest hit rural communities”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the leading Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, cheered news that the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy awarded $600 thousand dollars to organizations in Washington state to help respond to the opioid crisis in rural communities.

“I’m glad these grants will provide much-needed support to people and organizations on the frontlines of the opioid crisis in some of our hardest hit rural communities,” said Senator Murray. “These investments I fought for are an important step, but I’m not done fighting yet. There is still more work to do to address the root causes and ripple effects of the opioid epidemic, and help families and communities across our country grapple with the damage it has caused.”

The funds were awarded to the Washington State Hospital Association, Snohomish Health District, and Jefferson County as part of the second round of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) planning grants. Senator Murray, a vocal proponent of efforts to strengthen the federal response to the opioid crisis in Washington state and nationwide, fought to create the RCORP grants as part of the FY18 funding bill, and worked to increase the program by $20 million dollars in the FY19 funding bill. The grants will help recipients strengthen local partnerships, assess needs, and develop plans to implement and sustain treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts for people battling opioid addiction.