In a move addressing the opioid crisis, Fort Wayne's Mayor Sharon Tucker has unveiled the first batch of grantees benefitting from the city's share of a national opioid settlement, as reported on Thursday by the City of Fort Wayne's official website. A total of $1.002 million is being doled out to various organizations aimed at supporting those battling addiction, with a focus on prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm-reduction services.
Payments from the opioid settlement are expected to run through 2038, and this inaugural disbursement of funds is the result of a carefully considered process by the National Opioid Settlement Committee, created by Mayor Tucker earlier this year. Announced just before the year, the committee's goal is to recommend the best uses for the funds, bring together community members to tackle opioid-related issues, and drive educational efforts within the community. The application window for this round opened in September and wrapped up in early October, during when the committee reviewed the proposals and chose the recipients.
Among those awarded funds is the YWCA Northeast Indiana, which received $90,000 to expand its residential and outpatient treatment programs for women, particularly those uninsured and postpartum, coupled with the provision of childcare. BHG Fort Wayne Treatment Center got $99,400 to bolster the EmpowerHer Recovery program, ensuring medication-assisted treatment is available to 50 uninsured pregnant and postpartum women.
Rise Recovery LLC, the Lighthouse: Life Restoration Services, and Redemption House Ministry, Inc. were granted $100,000 each to support a variety of services, including expanding outpatient treatment and enhancing recovery programs for ex-convicts and men in recovery. Meanwhile, aiming to widen its reach to over 500 individuals, Recovery Café Fort Wayne also received $100,000 to enhance its peer recovery circles and Naloxone distribution.
As indicated by the city's official announcement, the recipients of the funds cover a broad spectrum, focusing on diverse needs ranging from transitional housing to grief counseling. Project.ME FW Inc. gets $100,000 for street outreach and peer recovery coaching, and RemedyLIVE (SoulMedic Media Group, Inc.) secures $27,600 for an educational campaign about the dangers of fentanyl. Schools and educational centers haven't been overlooked either; Schools Care Inc. and the Harold W. McMillen Center for Health Education are set to expand their preventative programs in schools.
Mayor Tucker, since her April 2024 inauguration, has pushed for such community-forward programs. "I’m encouraged by the collaboration that’s been displayed to help move our community forward through meaningful investments," she said. "I’m appreciative of the efforts of the National Opioid Settlement Committee as they led the effort to evaluate the applications and recommend the programs to receive funding. I truly believe we’re going to see positive outcomes."
