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Taylor County allocates $100,000 in opioid-settlement funds to Betty Hardwick Center program
Summary
The county approved a $100,000 allocation from opioid settlement funds to support outpatient substance-use services operated by the Betty Hardwick Center after hearing that the program lost state funding and serves roughly 100 people annually.
Taylor County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 on Aug. 26 to allocate $100,000 in opioid-settlement funds to support the Betty Hardwick Center’s outpatient substance-use program, the court said.
Jenny Goode, speaking for the provider, told commissioners the program operates with two licensed chemical dependency counselors and serves about 100 people a year, many with co-occurring mental-health conditions. Goode said the county has received roughly $236,000 in opioid-settlement funds to date and that an additional roughly $40,000 is expected; she asked the court to consider either $60,000 to retain one counselor or $100,000 to fully replace lost state funding.
“My preference would be to do the $100,000 since we’re limited in what we can use these funds for anyway,” Goode said.
After brief discussion, the court’s judge moved to allocate $100,000 from opioid settlement money to the Betty Hardwick program; Commissioner Kendrick seconded the motion. Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the allocation.
County staff noted the state provides guidance on allowable uses of the opioid settlement funds and that the Betty Hardwick request falls within treatment-related uses the state documents permit. Commissioners and staff praised program staff for work with high-risk populations and with the jail navigator program.
The allocation is a straightforward one-time appropriation from settlement funds; the court did not adopt a long-term contract amendment or specify a multi-year commitment during the meeting.
