Wilson prevention coalition asks Northampton County to bridge gap in opioid-settlement funding to keep staff

Trina Johnson Brady, representing the Wilson Area Links Coalition for Families and Youth, urged Northampton County Council on Aug. 21 to allocate opioid settlement funds to sustain a paid staff position that coordinates evidence-based prevention programs in the Wilson Area School District.

The coalition has secured a two‑year, $150,000 SEDER grant to deliver evidence‑based substance‑use prevention programming in Wilson at no cost to the county, Brady said, but the grant reimburses only 60% of a single staff salary, benefits and operations. “That leaves us without the capacity to coordinate these programs, the very infrastructure that makes prevention possible,” she said.

Why it matters: Council members heard that the coalition has built partnerships with local nonprofits, faith groups and the school district and that losing the paid coordinator would force the effort back to an all‑volunteer model. Brady said county opioid‑settlement guidance (referred to in her remarks as Exhibit E and Schedule B) expressly prioritizes funding school‑ and community‑based prevention, anti‑drug coalition staffing and training.

Brady told council the SEDER grant covers only 60% of the coalition’s single staff position and that the coalition is asking the county for two kinds of support: short‑term gap funding to bridge the coalition through early November and an ongoing commitment to cover roughly 30–40% of salary and benefits to match the SEDER award. “What we are asking for is less than half of the amount we are bringing into Wilson through prevention programs,” Brady said.

A second speaker from Wilson, who identified herself as a local resident, emphasized the local consequences of losing the coordinator and described the staff member as “a one‑person show” who links families, students and community events. “An all‑volunteer support model is insufficient for the need that Wilson Area School District has,” the resident said, adding that the coalition’s activities — from family nights to events that connect students with mentors — depend on a paid coordinator.

Brady and the resident cited local indicators the coalition tracks: the coalition’s speaker said poverty in the Wilson district has increased by 59% since 2019, and parental attitudes favoring antisocial behavior on the Pennsylvania Youth Survey have risen by 7% since 2021. Brady asked council to align any county funding decision with the settlement’s guidance and the coalition’s existing outside resources and community commitments.

No formal vote or action was taken during public comment. Council members did not make a formal funding commitment on the record at the Aug. 21 meeting.