By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A local agency has been awarded a grant to help support its substance abuse treatment program.

Livingston County Catholic Charities is the recipient of a grant from the DTE Foundation. Officials say the opioid and overdose crisis has been gripping America for quite some time now, devastating families and communities across the country and in Livingston County.

A press release states that COVID-19 has only exacerbated the overdose and drug crisis. LCCC said for many persons with mental health and substance abuse issues, isolation, lost jobs or loved ones, financial struggles, political strife and more were enough to either push someone who may have been managing their situation over the edge or contribute to addiction relapses.

LCCC’s Substance Abuse Case Manager shared that approximately 70% of her attendees in the Substance Abuse Engagement Group who had been clean, relapsed during the first 6 months of the pandemic. In light of the current state of affairs, LCCC has seen a tremendous increase in the number of persons seeking both Substance Abuse Counseling and Mental Health Counseling in the last 18 months.

Thus, with the continued critical problem in the United States with substance use, abuse and overdose, the local agency says it remains committed to its mission to offer counseling to all with a focus on serving the poor.

The special grant funding from the DTE Foundation is said to help strengthen the agency’s ability to offer a sliding fee scale and meet the growing demands for substance abuse treatment needs.

LCCC Executive Director Mark Robinson commented they’re very grateful for the gift as they respond to the important community need. He added they very much value the support from the DTE Foundation to help enhance their ability to serve those struggling with addiction.

A press release is attached.