CARSON CITY — Funding was approved last week to support projects that will help abate the impact of opioids on Nevadans. With a focus on efforts to support children, 30 projects were awarded funds to further the goals of the Fund for a Resilient Nevada program.
“This funding will be used to lift projects across the state that support prevention, intervention and treatment for people impacted by substance use,” said FRN Program Manager Dawn Yohey. “Many of the projects will directly support Nevada youth as we work to give kids a strong, healthy start.”
In June, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for agencies developing projects that fit within FRN’s seven goals. The agencies receiving funds were announced at the August meeting of the Nevada Legislative Interim Finance Committee (IFC), and at Thursday’s IFC meeting additional funding was approved for those agencies to ensure all projects could be implemented successfully.
Twenty-two of the projects focus on efforts related to children and families, including youth-focused programs that enhance community mental health and wellness, mobile outreach and prevention services that align with Gov. Joe Lombardo’s health and wellness policy priorities. Other funding will support programs to reduce gestational exposure to substances and provide supports for children affected by prenatal substance use.
Earlier this year, DHHS hosted a gathering for partners and providers, with discussion centered around the 2024 report, Health Outcomes of Infants with Gestational Exposure to Substances in Nevada, drafted by the DHHS Office of Analytics. As outlined in the report, in the three-year period from 2018 through 2020, more than 12% of infants born in the state were identified as being exposed to substances.
Other funded projects support Nevada’s health care workforce and build capacity through educational opportunities. A list of the projects as they align with the seven goals of the Nevada Opioid Needs Assessment and Statewide Plan are available with the online version of this press release linked here.
