To advance the fight against the opioid epidemic, the Dauphin County commissioners recently approved funding for 17 programs aiming to prevent opioid abuse, treat those who are in the midst of active addiction and support long-term recovery.

The grant funding comes from lawsuit settlements, not tax dollars. With help from an advisory board, the commissioners evaluated applications to identify proposals that will have the greatest impact in communities throughout Dauphin County.

In early 2022, Pennsylvania established the Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust following settlements with three pharmaceutical distributors - Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen - and Johnson & Johnson. The state was expected to receive up to $1.07 billion under the initial settlements, with Dauphin County's portion being approximately $1.1 million.

Commissioner George P. Hartwick III, in partnership with the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, advised state officials on how the settlement money could best be used at the local level.

Grant awards in Dauphin County include Arcana Recovery in conjunction with Dauphin County Drug and Alcohol Services, $75,000 to use software and data to reduce recidivism; Bethany Christian Services, $75,000 to expand the RENEW Program for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder; Catholic Charities, $75,000 to add staff members at sober-living houses; Dauphin County CASA, $28,000 for training on mental health and substance use disorders; Daystar Center, $70,499 for trauma-informed therapies and training; Gaudenzia Inc., $75,000 for case management for pregnant and postpartum women; and Hamilton Health, $75,000 for re-entry case management.

Also, JFT Recovery and Veterans Support Services, $74,984 for the Millersburg facility and warm handoff program; Mazzitti & Sullivan Employee Assistance Program, $75,000 for the police peer support program; Penn State Health OB-GYN, $75,000 for staffing the new Maternal Substance Use Disorder Clinic; Penn State College of Medicine - Millersburg, $75,000 for vending machines with personal care items, resources and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone; Penn State College of Medicine, $75,000 for medication-assisted treatment education and training for physicians; Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge, $70,000 for Naaman Center for outpatient treatment; Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge, $70,000 for case managers and training; Dauphin County ASPIRE, $45,000 for suicide prevention; UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, $75,000 for mobile treatment; and White Deer Run Allenwood, $21,780 for The Bridge, a nerve stimulation device to lessen the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms.