US Department of Labor awards Wisconsin $4.3M in funding to support employment, training services in communities affected by opioid crisis

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $4.3 million in grant funding to Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development to assist people affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

Opioid-related deaths and emergency room hospitalizations rose more than 18 percent between 2020 and 2022and according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more people die of opioid overdoses in Wisconsin each year than in car crashes.

Overseen by the department's Employment and Training Administration, the National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grantannounced today will serve communities across Wisconsin by creating disaster-relief positions to address humanitarian needs resulting from the opioid crisis.

"The Employment and Training Administration is committed to ensuring Wisconsin workers affected by the opioid crisis have access to grant funding and assistance that will help their communities address the unique impacts of this complex public health crisis," said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez. "This Dislocated Worker Grant provides critical support to Wisconsin by providing jobs to affected workers and training to assist professions in the areas of addiction treatment, mental health and pain management."

Funds will also support employment and training services for eligible individuals to reintegrate into the workforce or transition into professional fields that could impact the opioid crisis.

In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, enabling Wisconsin to request this funding.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.