MOUNT VERNON — Three years after receiving the first distribution from the OneOhio opioid settlement, Knox County is ready to disburse the money into the community.
The current balance in the county OneOhio fund is $361,677.
On Tuesday, Kay Spergel, executive director of the Mental Health & Recovery Board for Licking and Knox Counties, outlined a mini-grant program to support local projects that aid those affected by the opioid crisis.
Spergel serves on the OneOhio county committee and the OneOhio Region 18 board.
“Keeping within what the spirit of Ohio dollars are, they are not intended to offset the cost of an organization’s operational costs or to pay for their administrative overhead,” Spergel said.
“They are intended to develop direct services and supports for those individuals that are the most deeply impacted by the opioid crisis.
“And certainly with children and families, there has been a tremendous impact.”
Round 1 funding focuses on programs that support children and families. Future rounds might focus on public safety and first responders, the criminal legal system, prevention, or recovery.
Private agencies designated as 501(c)(3), public charities as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, and government agencies can apply for grants up to $25,000.
The commissioners did not cap the amount distributed in Round 1. Instead, they will evaluate the number and types of applications and programs submitted.
Approval in Round 1 determines how much is left for future rounds.
“My recommendation is don’t spend it all at once, because I think there are other things down the road that could be helpful for you to spend these dollars on, too,” Spergel told the commissioners.
“We can test the water with this and … see what works.”
Grants up to $25,000 available for organizations supporting those affected by opioid use
Grants are awarded for 12 months. Organizations must direct the money toward decreasing opioids, other substance use, or mental health.
Other allowable costs include supplies and up to 10% of operational costs that support direct service. Administrative salaries, overhead, and equipment are not allowable costs.
Eligible projects can occur in any environment for any age group. Churches and faith-based organizations, educational institutions, and other community organizations are eligible to apply.
Potential programs include:
- Mentoring for family members affected by drug use
- Trauma therapy for children who lost a parent or caregiver to an opioid overdose
- Family grief and bereavement counseling following an unintentional overdose death
Applicants must include a sustainability plan explaining how they will fund the project after the grant is completed.
Spergel, Lisa Lloyd of the Knox County Foundation, and County Administrator Jason Booth will vet the applications for the commissioners.
“I think we’re all ready to start using this money because it’s certainly not doing anything sitting in a fund that’s in our treasury.”
County administrator jason booth
The board will accept Round 1 applications from July 1 to 30.
Spergel acknowledged the potential inexperience of groups seeking funding and said she would conduct a workshop to guide applicants in completing their applications.
“My experience with stuff like this is you’ll get all the big hitters coming up that do this all the time. They’re looking for money and know how to write these, and I don’t want that smaller important group in this county to get lucky on it,” she said.
“I want to give individuals or groups an opportunity to be on an equal playing field.”
Background of OneOhio
Ohio, along with many individual counties and cities, filed a lawsuit in 2017 alleging the pharmaceutical industry fueled the opioid epidemic by knowingly using misleading marketing tactics and not tracking suspicious orders.
Knox County filed its lawsuit in February 2018.
The U.S. District Court in Cleveland combined more than 2,600 lawsuits as OneOhio. Knox County joined the combined lawsuit in February 2020.
In July 2021, the three largest pharmaceutical companies — Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson — signed a $28 billion settlement.
Since then, Ohio signed settlement agreements with seven more companies totaling more than $1 billion.
The settlement money goes to states and local governments that joined the lawsuit. Governments must spend the money on opioid treatment and prevention.
The county commissioners disbursed the initial payment of $26,924.64 to Knox County Job & Family Services to offset drug dependency testing and placement costs.
In 2023, the commissioners also allocated the $50,000 in payments for 2022 and 2023 to JFS.
