Consultant urges Walker County to form committee and apply for opioid‑abatement grants

Chris Wood of Veriquest Recovery Consultants told the Walker County Commissioners Court on Jan. 26 that counties must prepare opioid‑abatement plans to access larger state and regional opioid grants and recommended the county pursue planning and competitive funding.

Wood said counties receive a small annual allotment from Texas opioid funds (he estimated about $50,000 a year) and that larger sums are available through competitive regional and state set‑asides for jurisdictions that submit a formal abatement plan. He described the typical process: apply for a planning grant from the state council (referred to in the presentation as OAFC), create a comprehensive abatement plan that assesses needs and priorities, then apply for larger, competitive funds to implement treatment, law enforcement support, behavioral health services or reentry supports for people leaving incarceration.

Wood outlined options the county could fund or seek grant support for, including law‑enforcement treatment programs, jail‑based mental‑health officers or reentry nursing services. He recommended forming a small committee to work with county staff (Britney and others mentioned in the discussion) and Tri County partners to issue an RFQI and select a contractor to draft the opioid plan. Commissioners agreed to pursue the RFQI and form a committee to develop proposals and pursue grant funds.

Direct quote: "You have to start out by applying for a planning grant...and then you can apply for regional set aside and state set aside funds," Chris Wood said.

Next steps: The court directed staff to prepare and issue an RFQI for planning services, assemble a committee to oversee the planning process, and return to the court with proposals and recommended grant applications.