Elk Grove Village Cares receives $100,000 state grant
Elk Grove Village Cares, a village program that helps arrange treatment for those battling substance addiction, has received a $100,000 state grant to assist those who are uninsured or whose insurance may not cover counseling.
"Those suffering from the disease of addiction, be it opioids, narcotics or even alcohol, have enough barriers in their life already," Mayor Craig Johnson said in an announcement of the grant. "Lack of insurance should not be a barrier for those seeking to change their lives and get the treatment they need so they can recover."
Elk Grove Village Cares has been financially supporting uninsured participants since the program began in June 2018. Grants have provided financial support for 44 uninsured individuals who entered into a treatment program through Elk Grove Village Cares, according to the village.
This is the third Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority grant Elk Grove Village Cares has been awarded, for a total of $208,379. The program has also been awarded two community grants totaling $5,000 from Walmart, as well as a $1.54 million federal grant to support regional education and opioid overdose prevention.
"We're so proud to receive this grant funding because it validates the important work we're doing in the community to help those who need it most," Johnson said. "Additionally, when we can run the program successfully with
grant funds, we're more able to re-prioritize local tax dollars to address other needs."
Elk Grove Village Cares goals include reducing the number of opioid-related deaths and overdoses in the village, providing more "points of entry" for people suffering from addiction and help them access the resources they need to begin recovery, establishing and strengthening community-based resources for those in recovery and their family
members, and educating residents about the disease of addiction.
Since June 2018, 55 individuals have sought and received treatment for substance addiction through the program, officials said.