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Linn County approves $419,000 in opioid-settlement grants, funds partial-year jail-diversion position
Summary
The Linn County Board approved fall 2025 recommendations from its Opioid Settlement Fund Committee, awarding about $419,000 across local providers including funds to partially restore a sheriff’s office behavioral intervention specialist and to underwrite services such as detox, medication-assisted treatment and transportation.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12 approved the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee’s fall 2025 funding recommendations, awarding roughly $419,000 to local programs aimed at addiction treatment, recovery supports and jail diversion.
Sonia Evans, senior accountant with finance and budget, told the board the committee had reviewed 12 applications totaling more than $1,000,000 but had about $430,000 available to allocate. "We had to figure out where we would best be able to serve the county through those funds," Evans said, and presented the committee’s prioritized list.
The board approved awards including: Area Substance Abuse Council — one care navigator, $70,000; Community and Family Resources — detox/withdrawal management services, $30,000 for FY26; CRUSH (Community Resources United) — recovery-oriented transportation and purchase of a client-transport van, $50,000; Eastern Iowa Health Center — expanded medication-assisted treatment and telehealth, $55,000; Linn County Winter Weather Shelter pilot (overnight medical/trained staff), $94,000; Linn County Mental Health Access Center — digital outreach advertising, $30,000 (funded at $2,500 per month for 12 months); Linn County Sheriff’s Office — jail-diversion law enforcement liaison (behavioral intervention specialist), $62,000 toward a position with an estimated full cost of $125,000; Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids — two withdrawal beds, $16,000; and Safe Place Foundation — meeting-space renovations, $12,000.
Supervisors asked how the partial-year funding would translate into a permanent position. A committee member said earlier settlement distributions had been front-loaded in prior years, permitting some multi-year commitments, but that current approvals are for one year at a time. "The total cost of the position is $125,000. What he needed to get him through for another fiscal year was the $62,000," a committee member said regarding the sheriff’s request.
A supervisor praised the committee’s scrutiny of applications and emphasized stewardship of taxpayer dollars when allocating settlement funds.
The board voted by voice to approve the committee’s fall 2025 recommendations and separately authorized the chair to sign memorandums of agreement with the approved recipients. The memorandums will formalize the grant terms and reporting expectations.
Next steps: staff will prepare the memorandums of agreement for the chair’s signature and administer the grants according to the approved allocations.
