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The Tule River Indian Health Center Inc. in Porterville is getting a $200,000 grant to recruit and train EMS workers in an effort to improve mental health and prevent drug overdoses.
Federal officials announced the grant Wednesday, which is International Overdose Awareness Day. In all, the Biden administration awarded $79.1 million to address the opioid epidemic on Wednesday.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, more than 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021, an increase of more than 15% from 2020.
“Everyone in this country deserves access to effective overdose prevention, treatment, and recovery programs,” said Health and Human Services assistant secretary Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon in a news release. “(We are) committed to advancing innovative and comprehensive approaches that prevent overdose, expand quality treatment and sustain recovery.”
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Under the terms of the grant, the Tule River Indian Health Center will “recruit and train emergency medical services personnel in rural areas of Tulare County … with a particular focus on addressing mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorders.”
In addition, the grant calls for the purchase of Naloxone and the training of EMS personnel in the use of emergency opioid overdose medication. The Naloxone will be distributed to the Tule EMS team housed at the Tule River Indian Health Center, the Tule River EMS team housed at the casino, and to the Camp Nelson Volunteer Ambulance team.
Anyone looking for substance treatment and other services should visit findtreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s national helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email