FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RecoveryPeople Awarded Up to $10 Million Grant from Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council to Expand Peer Support Workforce
AUSTIN, TX — May 5, 2025 — RecoveryPeople, a Texas-based peer- and family-led nonprofit dedicated to building a brighter future for Texans in recovery, has been awarded a grant of up to $10 million by the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC). The funding will support initiatives to expand and strengthen the peer support workforce across the state.
Pending finalization of the grant agreement, the funding will be used over a two-year term—with an optional two-year renewal—to implement strategic programs aimed at enhancing the recruitment, training, and retention of certified peer support specialists. These specialists, who draw on their own lived experience in recovery from addiction, play a critical role in behavioral health settings, offering support and guidance to individuals navigating the recovery process.
“This funding represents a significant investment in expanding access to certified peer support specialists and helping individuals and families affected by the opioid crisis find hope, healing, and lasting recovery”, said Jason Howell, Executive Director of RecoveryPeople. “Being awarded this grant is particularly meaningful, because RecoveryPeople represents a statewide community of recovery peers, families and allies who have been doing this work as our calling. Our lived experience makes us uniquely qualified to provide peer support and to lead statewide peer support development.”
RecoveryPeople uses a peer-to-career approach to workforce development, which supports applicants towards their professional and career goals. Once the agreement has been finalized, RecoveryPeople in collaboration with the Texas Institute for Mental Health (TIEMH) will conduct a needs assessment. Based on the results of the needs assessment and in consultation with the Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC), RecoveryPeople will implement a workforce development plan that will cultivate a network of peer specialists, instructors, supervisors, employers and stakeholders committed to addressing the needs of Texans impact by opioid and other substance use disorders.
For more information about RecoveryPeople and its initiatives, visit www.recoverypeople.org.
Media Contact:
Jason Howell
Executive Director
RecoveryPeople
info@recoverypeople.org
recoverypeople.org