Decatur County approves opioid-settlement distributions for treatment and youth prevention programs

Decatur County commissioners voted Oct. 20 to approve a slate of distributions from local opioid settlement proceeds recommended by the county's JRAQ allocation group, funding treatment, transitional housing transportation and youth prevention work.

The allocations come from a total Decatur County settlement balance the presenters said was $554,702.98. Judge Day told the board the county had distributed prior awards and that $206,006.81 remained available before the new approvals. If the proposals approved Oct. 20 are paid, Judge Day said, the balance would drop to about $71,681.98.

Judge Day and Abby Harry of court services described the funding the group recommended. Judge Day said $132,000 previously went to a wellness court administrator and that other prior awards included mortgage payoff support for Speranza, and funding for Ascension Recovery Services, which provides substance-use treatment tied to probation and community corrections. He said most of the county's opioid proceeds are restricted to projects with a clear link to opioid prevention or treatment.

The recipients the allocation group recommended at the Oct. 20 meeting included: - ARC (men's transitional housing): a $60,000 request for a vehicle. Judge Day said JRAQ recommended buying a vehicle as an asset rather than committing to ongoing driver/fuel payments. - Speranza (female transitional housing): a $25,000 recommendation contingent on the organization providing matching funds, intended to help replace or upgrade donated, high-mileage vehicles. Judge Day said the match was represented as available by the other funder. - All For 1 Ministries: a partial award for a school-mentoring program that works with identified higher-risk 9th'12th graders. The program uses a written curriculum and certified volunteers; the allocation group approved less than the amount requested. - Remedy Live (school prevention/PSA campaign): a proposed $30,000 award to run a six-month, county-targeted public-service advertising and convocation program focused on fentanyl awareness and related mental-health resources. Judge Day and Abby said the $30,000 amount assumes participation from all three county schools and would scale down if a school did not take part.

Abby Harry described the school-focused programs and the data that motivated the recommendation: she said polling taken during a convocation showed alarming self-reported mental-health indicators among students, including that roughly 75 students in early September had seriously considered suicide within the prior 30 days across county schools, and that approximately 6% reported taking an unknown pill from a friend.

Judge Day said JRAQ voted to approve the proposals and asked the commissioners to ratify the distributions. A commissioner moved and another seconded; the board approved the recommendations by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The board and presenters emphasized transportation needs at the transitional housing programs: Judge Day and others said many residents lack licenses and vehicles, but must travel for appointments, job searches and court-related obligations. For the ARC request, Judge Day said purchasing a vehicle avoids committing county funds to a new ongoing operating expense.

The presenters noted the county will continue to receive smaller annual settlement payments for a multi-year period; Judge Day said the amounts decline over time and some future requests were tabled for further review or to an executive session in November.

The commissioners approved the JRAQ-recommended disbursements by voice vote. Judge Day said staff would keep the board informed as remaining requests are vetted.