Commissioners approve $250,000 opioid remediation grant to sustain jail medication-assisted treatment

Delaware County Commissioners on June 16 approved an amended application to the Ohio attorney general's opioid remediation grant program that will allow the sheriff's office to seek up to $250,000 to support medication-assisted treatment in the county jail.

The sheriff's office told commissioners the application splits funding into a $50,000 line restricted to medications (in alignment with the grant cap) and $200,000 for broader program support, including coordination, clinical staff and case management. Cassie Neff of the Delaware County Sheriff's Office said the award would "expand, not supplement, our existing medication-assisted treatment program within the jail." She added that the program is currently operating from medication purchased under prior grants and that "the program will not be able to continue unless the county agrees to absorb the ongoing cost of medications" if grant funding lapses.

Neff described how MAT injections are provided following a clinical assessment and are integrated into the jail's reentry services. She said the grant-funded portion would support the jail's program coordinator, the jail physician, the charge nurse and the mental health clinician who oversee screening, education and coordination.

Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize submitting the amended application. The board took no further action to appropriate local funds; any county-funded continuation if grant supplies are exhausted would require future budget action.

The grant application amendment was presented as resolution number 25-467 and was approved by voice vote (ayes from Mrs. Lewis, Mr. Merrill and Mr. Benton).