Franklin County awards $261K in opioid epidemic grants

Franklin County has awarded $261,000 in grants to combat the opioid epidemic, according to a press release from the Franklin County Commissioners.

The funding, 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 multistate investigation into the manufacture, distribution and promotion of opioids.

Pennsylvania will receive more than $2.2 billion through these settlements, with Franklin County and local municipalities potentially receiving up to $6.5 million by 2040.

In July, the county announced four grant opportunities for local organizations and entities to develop prevention programs and abatement 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:

Healthy Community Partnership received $30,000 to implement a media campaign focused on substance use awareness and prevention.
Shippensburg University was awarded $15,000 to promote harm reduction and prevent overdose deaths.
Leah’s Legacy received $50,000 to expand warm hand-off programs and recovery services.
Noah’s House Inc. was granted $50,000 to expand recovery housing and services.
Pyramid Healthcare was awarded $26,000 to enhance access to treatment and recovery services for Hispanic populations.
The Mental Health Association received $50,000 to develop a peer recovery center in Chambersburg and a satellite location in Waynesboro.
House of Hope was granted $40,000 to support individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community.

The county has contracted with Insight LLC to assist in managing and overseeing these grant-funded projects. The firm will aid recipients with data collection, ensure initiatives remain on track and analyze the results for effectiveness.

“We are grateful to those organizations that have seized this opportunity to work toward building resiliency against future opioid usage in our communities,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst in the release. “We are optimistic that these efforts will go a long way in assisting those in recovery and helping stem the usage of opioids in the future.”

Franklin County also has leveraged funding from these settlements to address critical workforce needs in recovery support services. This includes hosting certified recovery specialist and certified family recovery specialist training to fill workforce openings and strengthen 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 recovery program for inmates.

Additionally, a position for a recovery-oriented systems of care specialist has been established to drive transformative, recovery-focused 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 assistance 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

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