Rural communities across Maryland face unique challenges in the fight against substance use, often with fewer resources and limited access to care. A new state initiative aims to close that gap by investing in the peer recovery workforce and expanding support where it’s needed most.
In a recent press release, Governor Wes Moore has announced the launch of Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP), a $1.6 million grant initiative to strengthen substance use recovery support in Maryland’s rural communities. Administered jointly by the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Health, the program will expand the state’s certified peer recovery specialist workforce, individuals with lived experience in recovery who provide critical support to others navigating the same journey.
From the press release:
This latest chapter in our work to uplift Marylanders struggling with dependence targets new resources to rural parts of the state—the very communities that have too often gone overlooked and left behind. Each of us has a role to play in delivering healing and hope to those walking the road to recovery. And in this administration, we will continue to lead from the front, said Governor Moore.
Funded through Maryland’s Opioid Restitution Fund, RAMP will competitively award grants of up to $200,000 to eligible organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, faith-based groups, higher education institutions, workforce boards, and economic development entities. Programs must serve residents in counties designated as rural under Maryland law, such as Allegany, Dorchester, Garrett, St. Mary’s, Washington, and Worcester, among others.
Grantees will be required to partner with recovery-focused or community-based organizations for outreach, as well as employers willing to offer paid internships or jobs for participants. The initiative is expected to train 250 certified peer recovery specialists, ultimately connecting an estimated 1,000 Marylanders with essential recovery support.
In addition to training new peer recovery specialists, RAMP will provide current behavioral health professionals with opportunities for career advancement, retention, and supportive services like childcare and transportation to make participation more accessible.
Proposals for RAMP are due November 21, 2025, with awards beginning February 1, 2026. A pre-proposal conference will be held on September 10 at 1 pm.
More information is available here.
Stay tuned to the Conduit Street blog for more information.
