# Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2021

This bill creates a federal grant program to fund nonprofit organizations that help families dealing with addiction. Right now, when someone struggles with substance abuse, a lot of attention goes to treating the person with the addiction—but their families often get left behind, struggling without support or guidance. This bill aims to change that by giving money to community organizations that specifically work with families and loved ones affected by addiction.

The grants would go to nonprofits that bring together families, addiction experts, and people with lived experience to create support networks and educational programs. These organizations could use the money to help families understand addiction better, connect them with treatment resources, teach them how to support their loved one without enabling harmful behavior, and reduce the shame families often feel. The bill also allows funding to help these organizations work together across communities and train doctors, therapists, and social workers about how addiction affects entire families, not just the individual struggling with it.

To actually receive a grant, organizations would need to be nonprofits run by people who know addiction well—whether that's researchers, therapists, people in recovery, or family members who've been through it themselves. The federal government would cover up to 85 percent of program costs, meaning organizations would need to find other funding sources for at least 15 percent. The bill authorizes $5 million per year from 2022 through 2026 for this program, and organizations receiving grants would have to report back on what they're doing and whether it's actually helping families.

Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2021

Trone, David J.

Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2021 This bill directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to certain nonprofits to develop or expand services for individuals with substance use disorders and their families.