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Washington, DC—U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced that People with Ideas of Love, Liberty, Acceptance and Respect (PILLAR) in Laredo will receive $1,196,880 through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant will help support the implementation of Project PAW (Positive Affirmation at Work) to enhance the organization’s current overdose and prevention activities and to help control the spread of infectious diseases. The project also helps to mitigate the consequences of such diseases for individuals with, or at risk of developing, a substance use disorder.

PROJECT PAW will effectively distribute FDA-approved overdose reversal medication; overdose education, counseling, and health education; and linkage to infectious diseases treatment. 

“The 28th District of Texas faces unique health care challenges. Specifically, many of our residents live in medically underserved minority and rural communities.  I am pleased that these HHS grant programs continue to identify impactful, necessary, community-based efforts to abbreviate these challenges,” said Congressman Cuellar. “I am a strong supporter of PILLAR, an organization working tirelessly to address mental health and substance abuse disorders that focuses on illnesses and complications that are often ignored or trivialized. I hope that this project will work to break these stigmas and provide critical resources to the people who need them most.”

“Webb County is continuously seeking targeted financial resources to better serve the community's sexual health prevention and substance use treatment needs.  Unaddressed behavioral health issues contribute to an increase in HIV and other STI cases as well as the engagement in substance use behaviors.  Anytime our area receives funding to address any or all of these issues, a decrease in the number of new or untreated cases in these areas is achieved,” said Manuel Sanchez, Co-Founder and CEO of PILLAR. “Thanks to Congressman Cuellar and his efforts to secure funding for our community, PILLAR will have an opportunity to reverse these unwanted and unhealthy trends in both the public and behavioral health domains.  It is all about keeping Laredo and its residents safer and healthier.”   

The goal of this program is to increase the number of persons receiving overdose prevention services and decrease illicit drug use and prescription opioid misuse among individuals receiving harm reduction services from PILLAR. By the end of the project period, PILLAR will have provided 500 individuals (100 persons in year 1; 200/year for years 2 – 3) at risk for substance use disorders with harm reduction and support services. 

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