Travis County details opioid abatement spending, grants and new harm-reduction contracts plan

Travis County Health and Human Services (HHS) told the Commissioners Court on Feb. 25 that the county has accepted two federal grants and is expanding local harm-reduction services using opioid settlement funds while continuing existing contracts for methadone and peer recovery support.

Courtney Bissnet Lucas, interim strategic advisor for Travis County HHS, told the court that "in calendar year 2024, there were 1,102 EMS calls and 878 emergency-department visits for overdoses," and said the county is tracking additional overdose and death data via Austin Public Health and the Travis County Medical Examiner, whose 2024 fatal-overdose report is expected in mid-to-late April.

The update answered a court directive from Nov. 12, 2024, that required biannual reports under the county's public-health-crisis declaration on overdose prevention. HHS reported three major funding and program items:

- Grants: Travis County has accepted two federal grants: a $932,000 Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Burn grant to support sobering‑center collaborations and wound care and peer services, and a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) COSIP grant of $1.6 million over three years to provide evidence‑based SUD treatment, medication-assisted treatment and reentry supports for people leaving the county jail. HHS said both grants are active and the county can now seek reimbursement for eligible expenditures.

- Local investments and contracts: County-funded contracts include two 2-year gap‑funding agreements for methadone services (providers not specified in…