Projects that will receive the funding range from substance use prevention programs, housing initiatives, new jobs and other recovery services.
Eligible agencies could request up to $200,000. The commission worked with the Montgomery County Office of Strategic Initiatives to select nonprofit agencies that provide support to those affected by opioid addiction.
“These funds will enhance our addiction treatment programs, prevention efforts, recovery housing and related healthcare services,” said commission president Debbie Lieberman. “We’re proud to collaborate with these dedicated organizations and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have.”
Recipient agencies, along with their projects, include the following:
Brigid’s Path: $180,000
Brigid’s Path serves infants and families recovering from substance use disorder. This funding will help boost advocacy services for families with infants at Brigid’s Path or upon discharge. These services include overcoming transportation barriers to ensure families meet with their treatment providers and continue therapy or any mental health services and ensuring infants receive follow-up visits, as well as other services that support families in recovery.
Westcare Ohio, Inc.: $162,729
East End Community Services provides social services for children, adults and seniors in inner east Dayton. Youth prevention services will support social and emotional development and empower healthy decision-making skills. Prevention programs for adults, including Whole Family Coaching, will provide health education, parenting support and other resources. Senior services will target low-income and isolated elders and will teach strategies to prevent injury, illness and addiction while improving social connectedness, according to a county press release.
Miami Valley Hospital Foundation: $193,280
Promise to Hope is a comprehensive prenatal care and social services support program that offers specialized prenatal care for pregnant women with opiate use disorder or a dual diagnosis of substance use disorder and mental illness. This funding will support two positions, an addiction fellow and a substance use navigator, who will work to improve early detection rates for opioid users and opiate use disorder.
Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley: $197,961
The Recovery and Employment Program provides job development and employment support to individuals in recovery. The funding received will allow the program to connect more individuals to employers who understand the challenges faced by those in recovery. The program will also employ a certified peer recovery support specialist who will aid those in recovery with workforce reentry.
Dayton Metro Library: $137,163
Dayton Metro Library and Goodwill Easterseals launched a partnership to bring peer recovery supporters into the Main and Northwest Branch library locations. The peer recovery supporters host community events and connect people who attend those events to Goodwill Easterseals programs and other community resources. This funding will extend these services to youth at risk for addiction at the Southeast Dayton Metro Library Branch.
Dayton Dream Center: $200,000
Funding will go toward the Roadmap to Recovery project, which enhances support for people and families impacted by addiction and people experiencing homelessness. Monies will be used to develop a software platform that tracks the needs and progress of people along their recovery.
Eastway Behavioral Healthcare: $200,000
Eastway Behavioral Healthcare provides services for the substance use disorder population, focusing primarily on those currently being served in their facility with severe and persistent mental illness. This funding will help expand substance use disorder treatment services at Eastway to provide clients with a more comprehensive treatment system.
Joshua Recovery Ministries: $110,000
Funds awarded to the faith-based nonprofit will be used to purchase two homes in Dayton for recovery housing and replace aging vehicles so residents can transport themselves to and from recovery meetings, programs and other appointments.
Family Services Association: $42,671
Funding will go toward U-Turn 180, a prevention program designed to address trauma and prevent behaviors that lead to law enforcement involvement. The program works with people sentenced to Intervention in Lieu of Conviction supervision to reduce criminal involvement.
Affecting Community Transformation, Oasis House: $200,000
The program will serve women while they are in in-patient treatment for substance use disorder and will contract with therapists who are educated on the aspects of human trafficking. The funding will also provide residential safe housing and advocacy and case management services.
Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Dayton: $68,403
The goal of this project is to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance misuse and its related problems in youth and young adults, with a primary focus on African Americans who live at or below the poverty level. The nonprofit will use funds to provide two substance-use prevention programs for middle and high school students at the Dayton Boys & Girls Club and Juvenile Detention Center.
Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc.: $200,000
Funding will go toward continuing services like intensive outpatient, non-intensive outpatient, individual and group therapy, and ambulatory detox with on-site monitoring for people experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Additional services include peer support, care coordination and childcare services.
Nova Behavioral Health Inc.: $200,000
To help provide a more seamless transition, Nova will use funds to buy, renovate and furnish a property for a transitional housing unit that will house eight clients monthly. Clients in Nova’s transitional housing will receive help eliminating barriers people in early recovery typically face — transportation, food security, stable housing, employment and care coordination.
Agencies will receive funding once contractual agreements are approved by the commission, according to a county press release.
The commission opened the application process in March and received 38 applications, requesting more than $5.7 million in one-time funding.
The opioid epidemic had a significant impact on Montgomery County at its peak and continues to have an effect. In 2017, the county reported 556 accidental overdose deaths in one year. Last year, the total was 292, according to health department data.
Another $6 million in opioid settlement money will go toward cutting 226 jail beds and adding 100 jail beds in the behavioral health unit at Montgomery County Jail, and an additional $2 million will go to a Safety Net Portal to better coordinate care for those with addiction across health systems, the justice system and behavioral health providers.
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