SAMHSA Awards Additional $20 Million in Grants for Mental Health Services After Sept. 11 Attacks
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Oct. 29 announced that the department's
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will provide more than $20 million in new grants to eight states and the District of Columbia to support "critically needed" mental health and substance abuse services in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. States that receive the grants can use the funds for substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health programs, and SAMHSA has asked states to "focus and prioritize" on "meeting the special needs" of children and teenagers. SAMHSA will award $850,000 to Connecticut, $800,000 to the District of Columbia, $950,000 to Maryland, $1,150,000 to Massachusetts, $4,800,000 to New Jersey, $8,000,000 to New York, $1,850,000 to Pennsylvania, $350,000 to Rhode Island and $1,500,000 to Virginia. "The foremost aim of these grants is to ensure that support is available for Americans affected by the Sept. 11 attacks and the ongoing war on terrorism," Thompson said, adding, "We have moved quickly to release these funds to help meet the enormous human needs for counseling, support and recovery" (HHS
release, 10/29).
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