Franklin County has awarded $261,000 in grants to combat the opioid epidemic, according to a news release from the Franklin County Commissioners.
The financing, administered by Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol, comes from settlements with drug manufacturers and distributors. Franklin County is one of nearly 2,800 counties receiving funding through these settlements, which are the result of a multi-state investigation into the production, distribution and promotion of opioids.
Pennsylvania will receive more than $2.2 billion through these settlements, while Franklin County and local municipalities may receive up to $6.5 million by 2040.
In July, the province announced four grant opportunities for local organizations and entities to develop prevention programs and control strategies. The grants focused on expanding education for youth and at-risk populations, increasing access to recovery services and housing, broadening harm reduction strategies and developing specialized programs for mothers and children.
The recipients of the grants are as follows:
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Healthy Community Partnership received $30,000 to implement a media campaign focused on substance use awareness and prevention.
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Shippensburg University received $15,000 to promote harm reduction and prevent overdose deaths.
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Leah’s Legacy received $50,000 to expand warm transfer programs and recovery services.
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Noah’s House Inc. received $50,000 to expand recovery housing and services.
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Pyramid Healthcare received $26,000 to increase access to treatment and recovery services for the Hispanic population.
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The Mental Health Association received $50,000 to develop a peer recovery center in Chambersburg and a satellite location in Waynesboro.
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House of Hope received $40,000 to support individuals returning to the community from prison.
The county has contracted with Insight LLC to help manage and oversee these grant-funded projects. The company will help recipients collect data, ensure initiatives stay on track and analyze results for effectiveness.
“We are grateful to the organizations that have taken this opportunity to work to build resilience against future opioid use in our communities,” Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst said in the release. “We are optimistic that these efforts will go a long way toward helping people in recovery and helping reduce opioid use in the future.”
Franklin County has also leveraged funding from these settlements to address the critical needs of the recovery support services workforce. This includes hosting Certified Recovery Specialists and Certified Family Recovery Specialists to fill workforce vacancies and enhance services for individuals and their families.
The county has created a full-time recovery support specialist position within the Franklin County Jail to develop and implement a comprehensive inmate recovery program.
In addition, a position has been created for a recovery-oriented healthcare systems specialist to drive transformative, recovery-oriented initiatives and expand services to meet the diverse needs of all Franklin County residents.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@gannett.com, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
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This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Franklin County awards $261,000 in opioid crisis grants
