Clark County in 2018 filed a lawsuit in federal court against several pharmaceutical companies that sell opioids

VANCOUVER – The Clark County Opioid Abatement Council recently awarded monies from an opioid settlement to several local organizations that provide drug prevention and treatment programs as well as recovery services. 

Clark County in 2018 filed a lawsuit in federal court against several pharmaceutical companies that sell opioids. Clark County joined more than 400 jurisdictions nationwide seeking to hold the companies accountable for harm opioid addiction inflicted on their communities. 

As part of the settlement, jurisdictions must establish an Opioid Abatement Council that will make decisions on awarding grants to applicants. The Clark County Opioid Abatement Council awarded grants to nine local organizations for a total amount of $956,889. 

The largest grant was awarded to Clark County Jail Services in the amount of $270,612. This will increase the number of eligible incarcerated people started on new prescriptions for opioid use disorder, including all three FDA approved medications (methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone). The funding will also provide peer recovery support and coordinate care with the Clark County Jail Reentry Program.

Several other organizations also received grants. Below are the grant amounts and a brief description of how they will be used. 

• Boys and Girls Clubs: $86,475; strengthen opioid abuse prevention strategies
• Clark County Fire Rescue: $118,423; staffing for full-time community health worker
• Couve Collective: $83,378; increase capacity by expanding existing space; invest in outreach
• Columbia River Mental Health Services: $51,493; staffing for medication assisted treatment
• ESD 112: $97,634; prevent opioid misuse in local youth
• Lifeline Connections: $113,320; jail transition services and peer counseling
• Recovery Café Clark County: $81,576; provide satellite office near VHA projects that target the houseless
• Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health: $53,975; naloxone vending machine network and youth prevention training

The county has contracted with Carelon Behavioral Health to administer the settlement funding. The settlement requires Carelon to establish a dashboard to provide a public space for opioid settlement data. Carelon is in the process of finalizing contracts with the organizations receiving the grants.

The grants approved by the Opioid Abatement Council are for the 2024 process. Requesting grants from the settlement funds will be an ongoing annual process that begins each March. 

Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.