Centre County approves $865,634 initial allocation under multi-year drug-and-alcohol grant
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Summary
Centre County commissioners approved a grant agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs that will provide $865,634 for the initial six-month allocation under a roughly 4½-year agreement, funding prevention, treatment and recovery services and supporting local programs including youth prevention work.
Centre County commissioners on Jan. 6 approved a grant agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs that provides an initial allocation of $865,634 for the county’s drug and alcohol services for the balance of the first fiscal period under a multi-year agreement.
Kathy, director of the county Drug & Alcohol office, told the board the first allocation — for Jan. 1 through June 30, 2026 — totals $865,634, split in the transcript as $245,008 in state funds, $620,006.26 in federal funds and a county portion of $11,796. The agreement was described as covering roughly 4½ years because the state is six months behind in issuing the master agreement; subsequent annual allocations will flow through this agreement each time the Legislature finalizes a budget.
Kathy said portions of the prevention funding support evidence-based prevention programs and community efforts, and cited Big Brothers Big Sisters and the county youth service bureau as examples of prevention work that can be supported. She also said recent grant collaboration with the criminal justice planning office and the county prison secured funding to support medication-assisted treatment at the correctional facility, allowing opioid-settlement dollars to be reallocated to other projects.
Commissioners commended the county’s approach. One commissioner said Centre County ranks among the lowest counties in the nation by overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, noting the county’s coordination with nonprofits and initiatives such as the Hope initiative. That comment was framed as praise for local efforts; the transcript did not include supporting documents for the comparative statistic.
The board voted to approve the grant agreement and authorized same‑day execution so the county can return the agreement to the state and begin receiving allocations for the January–June period.
What happens next: County staff will return the executed grant agreement to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and manage allocations through the county Drug & Alcohol office; commissioners said they expect quarterly reporting and continued coordination with community providers.
