Gov. Moore Launches RAMP to Combat Substance Abuse in Rural Maryland
SALISBURY, Md. — Governor Wes Moore has launched Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers, also known as RAMP—a $1.6 million grant program to help more Marylanders in rural communities access support to address substance use.
Administered through partnership between the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Health, the funds help expand and strengthen Maryland’s certified peer recovery specialist workforce—individuals with lived experience in recovery who are trained and certified to support people going through recovery.
“Every Marylander knows someone touched by substance use,” said Gov. Moore. “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.”
The program, made possible by Maryland’s Opioid Restitution Fund, will competitively award grants of up to $200,000 each to programs that support training, certification, and career advancement for certified peer recovery specialists, offered at no cost to program participants. Grants will support training for an estimated 250 professionals, enabling approximately 1,000 individuals to receive critical recovery support.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit and community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, local governments, workforce development boards, higher education institutions, registered apprenticeship sponsors, and economic development entities. Applicants must serve participants who live in counties defined as rural under Maryland law, including: Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.
Grantees will be required to partner with at least two recovery-focused or other community-based organizations for outreach and recruitment. They must also partner with at least three employers committed to providing paid internships and/or employment to participants working towards certified peer recovery specialist certification.
“Peer recovery specialists are a lifeline for individuals and families struggling with substance use,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu. “This investment will help ensure that rural Maryland communities have access to trained, certified peers who bring empathy, experience, and real-world insight to their work. Through RAMP, we’re both providing critical support for Marylanders pursuing recovery and building pathways to high-impact, gratifying careers in behavioral health.”
In addition to providing free training for new peer recovery specialists, RAMP will support current behavioral health professionals with opportunities for career growth and retention in the field. Funds may be used to provide:
- Occupational training and credentialing
- Supportive services (such as transportation, childcare, and employment placement) that enable workers to participate in these programs
- Career advancement strategies for mid-level behavioral health roles
- Paid internships or work experiences with employer partners
“The RAMP program will help meet one of our greatest needs in a time when Maryland—much like the rest of the country—is experiencing shortages in our behavioral health workforce,” said Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller. “Not only does this program provide meaningful employment opportunities for individuals in recovery, it will also help make recovery more accessible for individuals in rural communities across the state.”
Most recently, Governor Moore joined leaders from TidalHealth for a ribbon cutting of its new community-based health care clinic in Salisbury. The facility—supported by a $1 million grant through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development—will bring essential medical services to the Church Street neighborhood, a historically disinvested area in east Salisbury.
Proposals for the Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers program are due on November 21 and grants will begin on February 1, 2026. Prospective applicants are invited to participate in a pre-proposal conference on September 10 at 1 p.m.
Organizations are encouraged to explore and share this funding opportunity. For more information and to RSVP to the pre-proposal conference, visit the Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers program website at labor.maryland.gov/employment/ramp, or review the RAMP Program Policy.
