City-funded opioid settlement programs report early results; council views video and hears client stories

City-funded programs supported by opioid settlement dollars reported early results and program plans to the Evansville Common Council on March 10. Youth First and Forefront Community Therapy described how their city allocations are being used for school-based mental-health supports, chronic complex pain programming and neonatal opioid withdrawal services.

“Youth First received $257,500 and we're putting it toward our mental health professionals program providing student assistance in the schools,” Carrie Black, president and CEO of Youth First, told the council. She said the funding helps maintain school-based mental health professionals while the community faces a shortage of such providers.

Ryan Wood, president and CEO of Forefront Community Therapy, described a multidisciplinary approach for chronic and complex pain that aims to reduce opioid reliance through physical therapy, pain psychology and social-work supports. “Research shows actually chronic opioid use actually increases your pain experience,” Wood said, describing plans for expanded pain psychology services and a neonatal opioid withdrawal program that will work with infants exposed in utero and with their mothers.

Presenters showed a video and included client testimonials. Staff and clients described measurable service outcomes: about a dozen homeowner-repair projects tied to other programs were reported ready for contracting (this detail relates to the housing item discussed earlier), and Forefront described plans for an opioid symposium in the fall intended for regional providers and partnerships with local medical and academic programs.

Council members thanked the presenters and praised program work; no formal council action was taken at the meeting. Presenters said the symposium is intended as a capstone to disseminate evidence-based nonpharmacological approaches to pain and addiction treatment in the region.