The Quinault Indian Nation has received a $1 million grant from the Department of Justice for continued efforts to address substance abuse, one of three Western Washington tribes to receive federal assistance.
In a Thursday news release, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, announced six communities throughout Washington would receive a total of $5.9 million. In a statement, Cantwell said the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, Mason County, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the City of Olympia and the City of Kirkland would also receive funds.
“The state of Washington saw an alarming 33% increase in reported drug overdose deaths from May 2022 to May 2023, the highest increase in the nation,” Cantwell said in a statement. “This funding will help six different Western Washington communities fight the scourge of fentanyl and other drugs by aiding first responders, expanding drug court recovery programs, and giving locals better access to the most effective treatments.”
For the Quinault Indian Nation, the funds will support a partnership between the Quinault Indian Nation's Adult and Family Healing to Wellness Courts and the Quinault Wellness Center in an initiative to provide “stabilizing services” through the help of peer recovery supports. The funds were awarded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Site-based Program.
In August, Cantwell spoke at the National Tribal Opioid Summit, which brought together roughly 900 tribal leaders, health care workers and first responders. Cantwell has also conducted a nine-stop listening tour to hear firsthand accounts of the effects of the powerful opioid.
The tour brought Cantwell to Southwest Washington in August for a roundtable in Vancouver.
