New bipartisan legislation aims to help those battling substance abuse
(WENY) -- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced new legislation aimed at curbing substance abuse Wednesday morning. If passed, the Family Support Services for Addiction Act would provide $25 million in grant funding to help non-profits and community organizations support families with loved ones seeking addiction treatment.
“These programs often receive little to no Government support,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said, adding, “My bill aims to address this gap in funding for these services.”
The funding in the bipartisan legislation will help equip families with the resources they need to support a loved one who is working to recover from substance abuse. Gillibrand said addiction affects the entire family and navigating the system to help their loved ones can be challenging.
“It applies to almost every kind of substance-use disorder,” Gillibrand said, adding, “It’s not specific to any kind of drug or problem, so I think it will be money for all organizations that want to help.”
CASA-Trinity, a local substance disorder treatment organization, said this funding can help improve the programs and people they serve. CASA-Trinity's Amy Gessi said if passed, the legislation will give families the ability to provide an even more solid support system to those in recovery.
“It's not just the person that's going through trying to get help, it's the family members trying to support them,” Gessi said, adding, “It takes a village to keep people going in that way.”
A version of the bill has been introduced in the Senate and the House. It will need to pass both chambers and be signed into law by President Biden before the funding would become available.