National Dislocated Worker Grant awarded to the Greater New Bedford Workforce Board

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Earlier this year the U.S. Department of Labor approved a two-year grant of over two million dollars ($2,000,000) for MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board to provide training and employment services to victims of opioid abuse in the greater New Bedford area and Fall River. The grant is one of three grants across the state to address the high incidence rate of opioid abuse, which is considered a national emergency. It is designed to assist former opioid users to access training, potentially attain “recovery coach” status and enable them to work in our community helping others address their addictions. The grant also provides training funds to others who may have been affected by addiction such as family members to pursue living wage career pathways as a means of offering alternative mainstream jobs. While the grant is under the purview of the MassHire Greater New Bedford Workforce Board, the Board is working very closely with several core community partners to provide outreach, counseling, and training services necessary for the road to recovery. The crucial partners are the MassHire Division of Career Services (MDCS), Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction (PAACA), Massachusetts Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS), Bristol County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and the City of New Bedford Health Department (NBHD). To continue to effectively address substance abuse challenges requires a dedicated team. We are honored that the decision by the U.S. Department of Labor to award these funds is a recognition of the strong collaboration that exists among our local agencies working together to assist those ready to change their lives.If you have been affected by the opioid crisis and would like to get trained to work in the industry to help others or work in the private sector, please call 508.203.1822 NOW. Bi-lingual assistance is available. Our local name is “Greater New Bedford Recovery Works”. Check us out on FB https://www.facebook.com/recoveryworksgnb and our website RecoveryWorksGNB.org.