Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health And Reentry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents, providers urge supervisors to fund jail reentry program as opioid-settlement funds and grants wane
Summary
Multiple residents and program leaders urged the Page County Board of Supervisors April 21 to include ongoing funding for a jail reentry/substance‑use program, warning that current grant funding will not continue and that opioid-settlement receipts could be tapped but are limited.
Several residents, program staff and recovery‑house representatives used the April 21 public‑comment period to press the Page County Board of Supervisors to fund the jail reentry (JMAT) program and related recovery services.
Speakers described the program as the county’s only substance‑use treatment and reentry service that focuses specifically on people exiting the jail and on stopping recidivism. Commenters said the program has been in development since 2019 and relies on grant funding that the speakers said is ending; they urged the board to include the program in the county’s operating budget so services will continue.
Program advocates described a mix of services: jail‑based counseling and case management, peer supports that visit jail and recovery residences, outreach to families and job‑placement assistance. Speakers said the program’s eligibility is relatively broad (substance use, residency in Page County and recent incarceration) and that participants volunteer for services; advocates offered anecdotal results including job placements and family reunifications.
Board members asked staff about alternative funding. Finance staff and supervisors discussed opioid‑settlement and drug‑settlement receipts as a potential source; staff reported the county had already received about $160,000 from settlements but that the annual amounts are expected to decline over time and would not permanently underwrite program operations. Supervisors requested a detailed accounting of opioid‑settlement receipts, anticipated inflows and other grant resources so the board can evaluate sustainability and possible consolidation of services.
Speakers who addressed the board included program representatives from Blue Ridge Mountain Family Connections and Valley Rise Above House, residents who identified as program participants in recovery, and other community volunteers. No formal board vote on permanent county funding for the program was taken at the April 21 meeting.
