Millions of dollars of grant funding are flowing into Montana to help health officials and tribes expand treatment for those addicted to opioids and stimulants.
The White House announced Friday that the state health department will receive $4 million.
According to information provided by federal officials, the grant will help develop a statewide education program on opioid use prevention and naloxone, which reverses overdoses. The funding will also help expand medication-assisted treatment for tribal communities by creating a mobile unit to provide those services.
According to Montana’s grant application, Indigenous Montanans “face more than a 20-year disparity in life expectancy compared to white Montanans, partially attributable to higher rates of substance use.”
The state also aims to provide more opioid treatment services to incarcerated individuals. The state estimates that 90% of incarcerated people in the state are jailed for offenses related to substance abuse.
Billings nonprofit Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council along with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai and Fork Peck tribes will receive $1.5 million to expand treatment services.