Organizations serving Anderson County residents are invited to apply for funds the county will receive as part of an opioid settlement.
The state of Tennessee will receive more than $1 billion in settlement funds over 18 years from several major corporations “due to the extensive harm and loss of life caused by the opioid crisis caused by the unethical and overprescribing of opioid medications.” ” according to a news release from Anderson County government. Anderson County has been allocated a portion of these funds, which will be received in annual payments. The county has created the Anderson County Opioid Settlement Committee to oversee the spending of these funds to ensure they are used to address the opioid crisis and save lives. Every year, the committee invites social organizations to apply for these funds.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark speaks alongside Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen at a news conference where they announced that Purdue Pharma LP has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges over its handling of the addictive prescription opioid OxyContin, at the Department of Justice in Washington, on October 21, 2020.
The selection process for funding will use a competitive process, and the number of awards will depend on the amount of funds available, the press release said. The available amount, the dates of submission of applications and awards will vary annually. The amount available for the 2024 funding cycle is $425,159 and proposals will be accepted between January 1 and 31, 2025.
Applications will be accepted from any organization serving Anderson County residents, but will only be distributed to organizations providing services within the approved recovery applications as set forth by the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council. If an applicant organization is located outside of Anderson County, funds will only be awarded to that organization if it is used to serve Anderson County residents. The Anderson County Opioid Settlement Committee will provide funds in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations that counties must adhere to when allocating funds to community organizations.
The Anderson County Opioid Settlement Committee will review and review all applications received. The committee will consider scores, along with other factors, to make funding decisions. These factors may include provincial priorities, community needs, available funds, cost-effectiveness, and federal and state regulations. The maximum amount an organization can apply for is $60,000 per project. Organizations can submit multiple applications.
Applications and information regarding the opioid settlement funds are available on the Anderson County website https://andersoncountytn.gov. The Mayor and County Commission will receive final approval of all funding recommendations from the Opioid Settlement Commission.
The award announcement is expected to take place on March 31. Following the award announcement, the organizations will be contacted to discuss the contract process and specific metrics to be reported to the province. The funding period will last 12 months beginning April 1, 2025, unless an alternate project start date is agreed to by the winner and the Anderson County Chief Financial Officer.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Groups serving Anderson County can apply for an opioid settlement
