Colorado Opioid Abatement Council approves $2.5 million in new opioid infrastructure grant funding

Aug. 17, 2023 (MONTROSE, Colo.) – The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) today approved $2.5 million in new funding for local governments to fight the state’s opioid crisis. The COAC made the announcement at their annual statewide conference, a gathering of regional law enforcement, public health, and local government leaders, happening this week in Montrose.

“These funds will be put to work by the people who are working tirelessly to combat a crisis that continues to claim people’s lives and tear families and communities apart,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser, who chairs the COAC. “After securing more than $700 million in settlements from the companies responsible for the crisis and launching a transparent and fair grantmaking process, we’re excited to see how this money can be put to use by affected communities.”

The grants announced today are intended to provide resources for capital improvements and provide operational assistance for communities to combat Colorado’s opioid crisis, particularly in hard-hit, underserved areas. As part of this granting process, the COAC accepted applications from state agencies, local governments, regional opioid abatement councils, or a combination thereof. The criteria for these grants were set forth in requirements outlined in a statewide agreement. In addition, these funds are intended to encourage cross-regional collaboration between the 19 opioid regional councils.

“Communities like mine in Mesa County see how the opioid crisis continues to affect people’s lives and livelihoods,” said Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland. “I’m proud to work collaboratively with leaders from across Colorado to ensure this money is awarded in a fiscally responsible way that will be impactful for our communities, improve the well-being of our residents, and save lives.”

At their meeting, the COAC approved awards from the Infrastructure Share for the following programs:

• Colorado Charter School Institute: $469,920 – The grant award will be used to expand high-quality wraparound services for students at 5280 High School, a safe and substance-free school that provides education and treatment for teens in recovery. The school already has a strong track record of growth and success for students, with 70% of students remaining enrolled through graduation.
• Las Animas – Huerfano Counties District Health Department: $500,000 – The district will use the money to create a new one-stop-shop health campus in Walsenburg. Their goal will be to increase services and confidentiality for people looking for opioid use disorder and behavioral health treatment. The campus will also include a family resource center, early childhood programs, and community spaces.
• Region 4 Opioid Abatement Council: $376,878 – Through implementing organizations including Omni Institute, Centennial Mental Health Center, and North Colorado Health Alliance, this grant award will improve transportation programs for people seeking treatment from existing recovery services, provide a wider distribution of overdose prevention materials, and fund community engagement and recovery events to combat the stigma of seeking treatment. Region 4 includes the eastern Colorado communities of Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Yuma, Washington, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, and Phillips counties.
• Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council and Eagle County: $150,000 – These dollars will be used to fund the administrative functions of the regional opioid abatement council, services which are currently being provided in a volunteer capacity from several regional organizations in Summit and Eagle counties. Dedicated staff will allow for better planning, managing, and communication across the Region 5 counties to better respond to the opioid crisis.
• Clear Creek County: $530,000 – In partnership with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Clear Creek County plans to use this grant award to invest in new property that will offer the space needed to consolidate and centralize services, while providing room for growth. Jefferson Center is currently finalizing the purchase of property in Lakewood that will serve as a comprehensive recovery campus for all the areas the organization serves, which includes the Denver Metro Area, and Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson counties. The new campus is expected to serve up to 3,500 clients each year. Additionally, funds will be used to address the unique transportation barriers faced by each rural community, as well as the personal circumstances of individual clients.
• Region 13 Opioid Abatement Council: $487,980 – Partnering with St. Mary’s Integrated Addiction Medicine Clinic, this award will support construction and outfitting of the clinic’s space to provide HIPAA-compliant, evidence-based treatment for people seeking substance use disorder treatment in Mesa County, and for adolescents and families in Garfield, Delta, and Montrose counties.

The COAC was created through an agreement with local governments to provide oversight of the opioid settlement funds and to ensure the distribution of those funds complies with the terms of any settlement and the Colorado Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Understanding. The COAC appointed the Colorado Department of Law to provide administrative support and administer the opioid settlement funds on their behalf. This is the second of two annual grant award announcements, the first of which came in March.

Earlier this year, the Principles Coalition, led by faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recognized Colorado with one of its inaugural Excellence in the Application of Opioid Litigation Principles Awards for the state’s planning and regional collaboration, which provided a “detailed roadmap of evidence-based strategies that Colorado regions can use to address the opioid epidemic.

For more information about the council and future granting opportunities, go to coag.gov/opioids. To view more information about the state regions, please visit the Colorado opioid settlement funds framework dashboard.

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