The State of Indiana recently invited members of Clinton County’s Opioid Settlement Funding Committee to present their plan to the Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder in Indianapolis. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box called their plan “absolutely mind-blowing.”
Indiana will receive $507 million as a part of the $26 billion national settlement. Clinton County will receive a total of $697,445.39 in annual allocations through 2038. The City of Frankfort will receive a total of $386,386.84. Both received their first installments in December.
Healthy Communities of Clinton County is a member of the Drug-Free Communities Coalition which makes it eligible to receive matching grants from the Centers for Disease Control.
“Clinton County and the City of Frankfort have worked hand-in-hand on our settlement plan, pooling our allocations and sharing our resources to more effectively touch the lives of those affected by substance use disorder,” says Lorra Archibald, committee chair and Executive Director of Healthy Communities of Clinton County. “It made no sense to work in silos and risk duplicating efforts.”
Restricted funds must be spent on evidence-based prevention, treatment, recovery, harm reduction, behavioral health workforce, enforcement, jail treatment, recovery residences, and other services. Clinton County’s committee has earmarked dollars to be spent on such things as crisis intervention training, support for new and expectant mothers with substance use disorders, peer recovery coach programs, installation of Naloxone boxes, and vape detectors in schools.
Unrestricted funds can be used in any capacity. Clinton County and the City of Frankfort have agreed to put 100-percent of the unrestricted funds toward the treatment of substance use disorders and mental health conditions.
“We wanted every penny of this settlement to go back into our community to help those in recovery,” says Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets. “So, we unanimously agreed to use all the unrestricted funds to support two recovery homes – the One80 Recovery Resources, Inc. and the WeCare Recovery Home.”
Clinton County’s commitment to investing 100-percent of its abatement dollars to recovery and the collaborative way in which they did it caught the eye of the State of Indiana. Douglas Huntsinger, Executive Director for the Next Level Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement Division, invited Archibald, Sheets, Clinton County Commissioner President Jordan Brewer, and Clinton County Council President Alan Dunn to speak to state leaders.
“Their holistic approach to using both the county and city dollars cooperatively to fill gaps in service is a model communities across our state should replicate,” Huntsinger says.
Others at the meeting, including State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box, offered high praise and resoundingly positive feedback. “I am absolutely blown away. This (plan) is incredible and exactly what needs to be happening around the state. Others can learn from what you’ve done here.”
Healthy Communities of Clinton County is a member of the Drug-Free Communities Coalition which makes it eligible to receive matching grants from the Centers for Disease Control.
“We will try to take this money and leverage it further,” Dunn says. “Our Drug-Free Community status means the recovery homes awarded with unrestricted dollars will have the opportunity to double those gifts through matching grants.”