PORTLAND — The federal government has provided more than $6.2 million to the state of Maine to help people affected by substance use disorders with new job opportunities and training.
The grant, from the U.S. Department of Labor, is designed to help people affected by the state’s opioid crisis in particular, Maine officials said. The goal of the grant is to help more than 680 people enter or re-enter the workforce.
The Maine Department of Labor said the grant will help Mainers affected by substance use disorder learn skills needed to get stable jobs. It will also develop training opportunities for people hoping to work in treatment professions, the department said.
The number of drug overdose deaths appears likely to have increased from 2018 to 2019, state authorities have said. There were 277 drug overdose deaths in the first months of 2019.
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