ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Drug Endangered Family Task Force has issued a request for proposals for organizations seeking funding to help quell the local opioid epidemic.
The RFP was approved Tuesday by the Richmond County Board of Commissioners.
According to DEFT, funds from the opioid settlement can be used to fund programs or services that target opioid use disorder, addiction treatment, recovery support and drug interventions.
Programs are eligible for grants of up to $75,000.
Those eligible include: local public and government agencies; local public and private schools; 501(c)3 nonprofit corporations and organizations; private for-profit providers and organizations; and local housing authorities.
For more information, visit the opioid settlement page on the county’s website.
Commissioners have the final approval on all spending from the opioid settlement.
On Tuesday, the board also approved more than $300,000 in settlement funding at the request of DEFT.
The proposals were presented by Theressa Smith, deputy director of the Richmond County Department of Social Services.
The first request was for $86,329 to cover administrative costs. Smith said that pays for a part-time coordinator to assist with and monitor the grants, as well as a portion of the salary for the individual who handles secretarial duties and web updates.
The only thing not specifically administrative would be educational brochures and other expenses, Smith said, “but it does not affect the grants.”
Commissioner Dr. Rick Watkins said he just wanted to make sure that the “grant funds are available for local entities to help our folks that are addicted as part of this opioid crisis.”
The second request was $40,000 to restock the naloxone supply for first responders.
Both amounts were less than what was requested the previous year, according to Smith.
The third request was $99,503 in funding for Samaritan Colony. Around half of that came from funds originally allocated to N.C. Cooperative Extension, which was unable to implement the program due to staffing issues.
It’s the same amount commissioners previously approved this fiscal year in three allocations to Samaritan Colony, which has a 28-day addiction treatment program for men and will soon be opening a facility for women.
Smith said the facility only had three or four participants left to serve for Richmond County to meet the annual agreement
“They have done very well with providing those services for Richmond County residents,” Smith added.
The fourth request was for $75,000 to go toward FirstHealth’s Peer Support Program.
Last year’s allocation to the program was $50,497. A change in staffing prevented the program from completing the requested close-out, Smith said, so the additional funds were allocated to Samaritan Colony.
The funding comes from national settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and distributors including Johnson & Johnson.
Finance Manager Cary Garner said in April that the county was initially awarded $8.7 million over an 18-year payment cycle, adding there have since been some additions to the total.
So far, the county has received around $2 million.
