![The largest grant was awarded to Clark County Jail Services in the amount of $270,612. File photo](https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Large_Clark-County-Today-Opioid-settlement-funds-to-boost-drug-prevention-treatment-recovery-services.jpg)
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.
Also read:
- Opinion: OIC tells consumers not to pay for ‘insurance’ you won’t likely benefit from: Does that include WA Cares?Elizabeth New (Hovde) of the Washington Policy Center believes you should consider yourself warned by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner about WA Cares and its maybe-only benefit.
- Opinion: Same road, different speed limit?Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl addresses a question about speed limit signs going into and leaving town.
- Progress being made at GRO Parade of Homes siteThe 2024 GRO Parade of Homes, presented by the Building Industry Association of Clark County, is a little more than a month away, and builders are busy completing the luxury homes before the big event, scheduled for Sept. 6 through 22 in Felida.
- Has trust in the media tanked over coverage of President Biden’s decline?After President Joe Biden’s calamitous debate performance against former President Donald Trump, and days after Biden’s decision Sunday not to seek reelection, there are still many questions about how the news media covered Biden’s mental and physical decline.
- Opinion: Hiding the growing cost of the Interstate Bridge replacementJoe Cortright of the City Observatory addresses the rising cost of the Interstate 5 Bridge replacement project.
- Letter: ‘This election I am NOT voting for Greg Cheney’Clark County resident Wynn Grcich shares her thoughts on Rep. Greg Cheney and the issue of fluoridation in area drinking water.
- Major gas line leak closes major arterial in Clark CountyFirefighters from Clark County Fire District 6 responded Thursday (July 25) afternoon to the scene of a major natural gas leak on NE 99th Street, directly in front of Columbia River High School.