Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming notice of grants for the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency and the local Health Department.

CJPA SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM

A grant of $58,578 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is heading for the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency (CJPA).

“Thank you to the Criminal Justice Planning Agency, and in this effort Dr. Celestine Faumuina-Nix, as they work together to reduce substance abuse in our islands,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata.

These initial, discretionary funds through the Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance are for residential substance abuse treatment for the incarcerated. The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) funding is to establish and strengthen substance use treatment services for individuals housed within the correctional facility.

The RSAT program's purpose is to break the cycle of drug use, crime, and recidivism, so the project will focus on individuals in pre-trial and sentence status who have substance use disorders or substance abuse related treatment needs. RSAT funding will be used for counseling eligible pre-trial detainees, and substance use screening and testing services with the American Samoa Department of Health, followed by structured substance abuse treatment programming and recovery support services.

PREVENTING CANCER AND DISEASE RESPONSE

American Samoa is set to receive federal funding for two health grants, totaling over $1.33 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH). One social services grant of $580,847 is for cancer prevention and control programs, and the health services grant of $749,804 is to strengthen vaccine and preventable disease programs.

Both are discretionary, continuing grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention & Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).

“Thank you especially to the two project directors, Jasmay Willis and Yolanda Masunu, for their work on these grants,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Thank you to all our health and medical personnel working to keep our people’s health a priority, especially in areas of disease prevention.”