DOJ issues Grant Notice for Planning Agency

Washington, D.C. — A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grant for $120,523 is going to the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency for rehabilitation and treatment.

“Congratulations to CJPA Director Mariana Timu-Faiai and her staff in their yearly efforts to bring in and administer these helpful federal funds,” Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata said. “I appreciate this effort aimed at helping people we care about come back from drug addiction and illegal behavior, and find a better way forward. Thank you to DOJ for supporting programs in American Samoa.”

The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program assists governments to develop and implement substance abuse treatment programs in correctional and detention facilities, and to create and maintain community-based aftercare services for offenders.

The goal of the RSAT Program is to break the cycle of drugs and violence by reducing the demand, use, and trafficking of illegal drugs. RSAT enhances the capability of local government to provide residential substance abuse treatment for incarcerated inmates; prepares offenders for their reintegration into the communities from which they came by incorporating reentry planning activities into treatment programs; and assists offenders and their communities through the reentry process, including the delivery of community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services. American Samoa can use the RSAT funds for residential, jail-based, and aftercare.

CDC Preventative Grant

A grant notice of $228,000 for the American Samoa Department of Health is on its way from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Specifically, this discretionary grant is from the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention & Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), covering the next year of a five-year planned project. These federal funds are for the American Samoa Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System effort, a grant application by the American Samoa Health Department that supports scientific and health research funding including surveys.

 “Thank you to Emergency Preparedness Director Ben Sili, and congratulations to Director Motusa Tuileama Nua,” said Aumua Amata. “Once again, we appreciate the support from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, and NCCDPHP Director Dr. Karen Hacker.”

By “surveillance,” CDC has described efforts working to understand the extent of health risk behaviors, preventive care practices, and the burden of chronic diseases; to follow the progress of prevention efforts; and to help public health professionals and policy makers make timely and effective decisions.