WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $627,124 to the Washington State Employment Security Department to continue providing disaster-relief jobs and employment and training services for people in southwest Washington communities affected significantly by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose. In September 2023, the department announced the award of a National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant of up to $1.4 million, with an initial award of $800,000. The funding supports Washington’s efforts to create disaster-relief positions in the state’s southwest regional workforce area. The grant also enables the state to provide employment and training services to dislocated workers in Clark and Cowlitz counties experiencing long-term unemployment and facing homelessness related to the opioid crisis. With today’s funding, the total awarded for the project is $1,427,124. “The Employment and Training Administration is committed to ensuring Washington workers affected by the opioid crisis have access to assistance that will help their communities address the unique impacts of this complex public health crisis,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez. “This Dislocated Worker Grant provides critical support to Washington by providing jobs to affected workers and training in the areas of addiction treatment, mental health and pain management.”In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, enabling Washington to request this funding.Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.