Local governments struggle to distribute their share of billions from opioid settlements

Suzanne Harrison, who runs King's Crusade in honor of her brother who died of an overdose in 2016 poses for a photograph in Evesham, N.J., Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Harrison says the charity could use funding from national opioid settlements to help people if local governments made it available to groups like hers.

He notes that with settlement money rolling out for at least 14 more years, there’s time for towns to use it appropriately, and resources to help. In Mount Laurel, New Jersey, the police department was put in charge and launched outreach events around budget motels where first-responders often administer an overdose antidote. The idea is to connect people with treatment and other services, but advocates prefer police not be in charge of the spending.

But those approaches have not relied on the kind of community needs assessments that Sara Whaley, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who helps develop guides for counties, says are essential. Marc Romano, director of operations for Prevention Plus of Burlington County, said he also wished there was a call for proposals for using the money. The group was paid $2,000 to hold a painting night for women in recovery, which he said was “a nice event for recovery and recovery awareness,” but the group could do more by getting funds to help support programs geared toward its mission of prevention.

U.S. News

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Does local energy and local control translate into lower rates?Instead of the expensive importing of remotely generated energy, a much better solution is to generate power locally.
Source: sdut - 🏆 5. / 95 Read more »

Positively JAX: Local nonprofit has empowered local families for 20 yearsOur April Positively JAX winner has been making a difference in our community for 20 years.
Source: wjxt4 - 🏆 246. / 63 Read more »

‘Not in the manual,’ Local nurse goes above and beyond for local family through heartbeat printoutJason Gruenauer is a Denver7 anchor and reporter
Source: DenverChannel - 🏆 239. / 63 Read more »

Episodes featuring earth friendly venues, conservatories and nature preservesCelebrate Earth Day with these local guide shows streaming exclusively on Very Local
Source: WGAL - 🏆 331. / 59 Read more »

Donations during Give Local York will help Watershed AllianceThe Watershed Alliance of York is one of many organizations that will benefit from Give Local York.
Source: fox43 - 🏆 564. / 51 Read more »

WTHR/WALV are the Local TV Home of the Indiana Fever with 17-game broadcast scheduleThe broadcast schedule will include 17 Fever games, including the home opener on May 16.
Source: WTHRcom - 🏆 329. / 59 Read more »