Somerset County announced awards from a newly launched Community Solutions small-grant program funded by opioid settlement dollars and presented checks to 10 local nonprofits at a public meeting.

A county staff member (name given in the transcript as "Lisa") said the program directs opioid settlement funds to grassroots initiatives addressing addiction and recovery, naming projects that include trauma-informed advocacy for children affected by parental substance use, naloxone distribution through Save a Life Day, youth prevention in Franklin Township and grief-and-recovery workshops. "I am proud to say we are the first county in this in the state to create a pathway to funding like this," the staff member said.

Recipients described their planned uses of the grants. Sheila Breeding, chair of Safe and Sound Somerset’s board, said the organization serves survivors of domestic violence and child sexual assault and noted the overlap between trauma, domestic violence and substance use. Tracy Heisler identified herself as executive director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties and said her agency has invested in trauma-informed care for children in foster care and planned to use funding to better support children and families affected by parental opiate use.

Lois Bennett, founder and executive director of Feeding Hands, said the agency will use funds to connect people facing food insecurity to additional services. Kristen Shero, executive director of Empower Somerset, described a project connecting teens and isolated seniors through storytelling and activities to reduce isolation and risk among older adults. David Martinek, founder of Recovery Friendly New Jersey, said his funded project will assess peer recovery specialists’ roles in assisting older adults with substance-use disorder. James Bridal, CEO of Tri-County Care Management Organization, said funding will expand substance-use-disorder (SUD) evaluations and a teen adventure prevention program.

Jerry Colavecchio of Prevention Resources described plans for a Save a Life Day mass naloxone distribution; he said, "Last year in Somerset County, we handed out over, I think it was 800 NARCANs all on the same day." Charlie Drop of Hunterdon Hope Seekers said the grief, healing and recovery workshop funded by the grant reached more than 100 participants at Raritan Valley Community College in June and that the organization opened a new satellite office in Franklin Township.

The awards were presented publicly and accompanied by short remarks from each recipient; the transcript does not state grant amounts for each recipient. The county recorded the selection and announcement of grantees but did not record specific appropriation votes or line-item budget changes in the meeting transcript. County officials asked the grantees to return for a group photograph at the close of presentations.