Health

Faces & Voices of Recovery Warns Against Harmful Cuts to Vital Programs for Addiction Recovery Support

Leave a comment



WASHINGTON (PRWEB)

Faces & Voices of Recovery is committed to bringing together the millions of Americans impacted by addiction and their families, friends, and allies. By forming recovery community organizations and networks, Faces & Voices aims to advocate for and promote the resources and rights necessary for long-term recovery through education and leadership.

The impact of substance use disorders is a serious threat to both the health and economy of the United States. Therefore, it would be prudent for Congress to invest in treatment and recovery support services. Unfortunately, the current legislation before Congress, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, fails to do so.

Passage of this legislation would worsen the opioid epidemic by cutting over $1 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services programs designed to tackle the crisis. These cuts would make it more difficult for individuals to receive addiction support and life-saving drugs like naloxone. The State Opioid Response program, for example, would experience a 22% cut that could prevent 29,000 people from accessing treatment and recovery services for opioid use disorder. Additionally, reductions in funding for recovery support resources like the Substance Use, Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery (SUPTR) block grant, Building Communities of Recovery (BCOR) grants, and the Department of Labor’s RESTORE grant program would significantly interfere with access to affordable housing, job training, and healthcare for people in recovery from addiction.

Investing in recovery support services also has an economic impact. If Congress wants to strengthen the economy, it should not reduce funding for critical services that enhance recovery support. The opioid epidemic has significantly affected labor force participation. One estimate suggests that it accounts for 25-43% of the labor force participation rate decline between 1999 and 2015. The Brookings Institute reports that workers experiencing challenges with substance use disorders take nearly 50% more days of unscheduled leave than other workers, have an average turnover rate 44% higher than the workforce as a whole, and are more likely to experience occupational injuries that result in time away from work. Investments in recovery support services are critical to the well-being of families, communities, and the workforce. Therefore, it is imperative that we do not allow vital programs that support addiction recovery to be cut. Cutting these programs not only jeopardizes the recovery of millions of Americans but also threatens the country’s economic stability.

For more information on Faces & Voices of Recovery please visit http://www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org

Please contact Keegan Wicks at kwicks@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org with any questions or for more information.

Share article on social media or email:

Leave a Reply