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Henry County receives opioid-abatement grants, expands behavioral health and sewer connection assistance
Summary
County administrator reported three opioid-abatement grants supporting a kinship navigator position, expansion of a crisis intervention center, and harm-reduction education; Public Service Authority grant will allow free connections to a sewer extension along U.S. 58 West.
County Administrator Wagner and county staff reported at the June 24 meeting that Henry County has secured several grant awards and program expansions aimed at addressing substance use disorder and improving infrastructure.
Wagner reported three Henry County awards from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority: funding for a kinship navigator position within the Department of Social Services (three years of funding), a competitive regional grant of about $1.5 million to expand a scribe intervention center operated by Piedmont Community Services, and a grant (fiscal agent: the city) to support harm-reduction education and prevention work with the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition. The kinship navigator position is intended to help foster children be placed with family members when possible and to support families affected by opioid use.
Wagner said the scribe intervention center expansion will increase capacity at the Piedmont Community Services facility (on Colorado Boulevard) so individuals with mental health or substance-use crises can receive care for up to 23 hours without hospital admission or arrest. The harm-reduction grant will fund regional prevention and education efforts.
Separately, Wagner announced that the Public Service Authority received grant funds to extend sewer along U.S. 58 West in the Horsepasture area. The grant will waive the usual $2,500 connection fee for each resident or business along that extension, Wagner said; staff will notify affected property owners about the project routing and timing.
Why it matters: The opioid-abatement funding targets three program areas (family navigation for foster care, crisis intervention capacity, and harm-reduction education) intended to reduce the need for hospitalization or incarceration for people in crisis. The sewer-connection funding removes a cost barrier for property owners along the new line.
What's next: County staff will coordinate with Piedmont Community Services, the city (fiscal agent for one grant), and the Public Service Authority to finalize implementation and outreach. Wagner said staff will provide additional details on the sewer extension’s start and end points to media and affected residents.
