Wood County Officials Hope County’s Share of Drug Company Settlement Money Will Help Nonprofit Groups

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Karen Madden, USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin) Wood County officials are hoping the county's share of drug company settlement money can be used to help nonprofit groups improve life for people with addiction.

According to Karen Madden with USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin, the county is asking nonprofit groups that have ideas for helping people suffering from addictions to apply for county grants, said Sue Smith, Wood County Health Department director.

All of the Wisconsin counties and some of the larger municipalities signed onto the drug company settlements. The settlements are part of a national litigation against drug companies related to opioid addictions.

There is no total on how much money Wood County will receive during the next several years, Smith said. Wood County currently has more than $1 million with $550,000 of it designated for a proposed Family Health Center in Wisconsin Rapids.

If built, the center will provide assistance for people with addictions, as well as those who need help finding dental and medical services. The total settlements will be paid out over the next 18 years.

The current amount available for grants is $530,000, Smith said. Any nonprofit organizations within the county, such as schools, county departments or churches, can apply. The Wood County Opioid Task Force has finished a survey on the needs of the county related to combating opioid addiction, Smith said.

The Task Force will make decisions on which grants get awarded and will give priority to those proposals that fill coverage gaps that exist in the county. Some key areas of focus for the grants include prevention, harm reduction, recovery, treatment, law enforcement, criminal justice, community grants and stigma reduction.

"We are committed to ensuring that the funds from the opioid settlement are utilized in a manner that brings meaningful and lasting change to those affected by the opioid crisis," Smith said in a Wood County news release about the grants. "The funding will be focused on addressing the crisis from multiple angles, fostering prevention, improving treatment access and supporting recovery efforts."

The attitude toward combating the opioid epidemic has changed in the past 20 years, Smith said. Wood County has slowly moved from an attitude of punishment to one of help. The goal is to keep people with drug addictions alive until they are ready to find the "off ramp" and stop using, Smith said.

Some of the steps Wood County already has taken include providing needle exchanges, providing Narcan to save someone going through a drug overdose, vending machines that provide lifesaving items, including Narcan, and a drug court in the justice system to give drug users an alternative to jail time.

Additional information on the grant program and applications can be found on the county website. People who want to learn more about the grant program or who have questions regarding the application should contact Ashley Normington at 715-421-8911 or [email protected].

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