(WHTM) — The Shapiro administration is taking steps to fight addiction, announcing millions of dollars to build resources for people in recovery.

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is handling the money, distributing $4 million of federal money as grants to establish “regional recovery hubs.” The department says these hubs will help make sure every Pennsylvanian has access to recovery services

DDAP Deputy Secretary Ellen DiDomenico said the state has spent many years building up programs in prevention and treatment. Now, they are focusing on recovery.

“The recovery space is a really important space,” DiDomenico said. “There’s capacity in some places for different parts of the recovery oriented system, but not statewide.”

However, DiDomenico said it is hard to implement a program that works statewide.

“[It is] really different if you’re in Philadelphia or Erie,” she said.

To solve that problem, the department is giving $500,000 grants to community organizations to establish “recovery hubs” in all nine regions of the state.

“What does it take to have a system in each part of the commonwealth that really takes recovery to the next level?” DiDomenico said.

DiDomenico said the grant money will not go directly to funding recovery services. Instead, the recovery hubs will be responsible for building up infrastructure in their region to support service providers in a long-term way.

“For Pennsylvania to invest in recovery support this way is just really, really inspiring to me,” Jennifer King, executive director of The Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

The Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania is one of the future hubs receiving this grant. They currently serve Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery counties but will expand their service as a hub to serve Lancaster, Delaware, and Schuylkill counties.

These grants will allow organizations like King’s to do a needs assessment in their region.

“Starting with, ‘What are you doing that’s working? What would you like to learn more about? And then making those connections through this grant,” King explained.

Then, they can help local service providers fill those needs in a long-term, sustainable way.

“Training, education, making connections, developing ongoing plans, developing grants,” DiDomenico said, listing examples of how hubs could help.

King said this regional approach will help make sure resources are available to everyone — everywhere.

“The state is not saying to everybody across the state, do it exactly the same way,” she said. “Building this network where we’ve kind of convened everybody who’s doing this work, enhances the fact that more and more people who need it will have access.”

DDAP is still searching for a hub in the Midstate, the last region that needs one. Interested organizations can apply on their website.