Porter County awards $125,000 in opioid-settlement grants to five local recovery organizations

Porter County commissioners on March 31 approved $125,000 in grants from opioid-settlement funds to five local organizations that provide addiction recovery and reentry services.

The awards — limited to a maximum of five grants and selected from eight applicants by a committee — were presented to The Caring Place, 3 20 Recovery, Community Change Center, Moraine House and a proposal from the Porter County Health Department. Committee member Speaker 2 moved to award the money as listed on the agenda; Speaker 3 seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.

Jessica Luth, chief executive officer of The Caring Place, told commissioners the organization combines domestic-violence services with a women-in-recovery residential program and called the funding “integral” to supporting case management and reintegration services. “This funding is integral in that,” Luth said, describing residential and recovery services that keep clients from returning to dangerous situations.

Allen Crasula of 3 20 Recovery described in-person community programming meant to build relationships and “hope” for people in addiction recovery, noting weekly community life-recovery services with meals, music and peer-led supports. “When they walk in that door ... you see hope in the individuals that walk through our doors,” Crasula said.

Sam Burgett, founding director of Community Change Center, said the grant would help launch an individual counseling program that begins in jail and continues in the community while the nonprofit ties the work to Medicaid and other sustainable billing sources. “This funding would allow us to kick-start that program while we work on the paperwork to tie it into sustainable funding sources,” Burgett said.

Michael O’Connor, executive director of the Moraine House, described the residential recovery program (up to 13 clients) and said previous county support funded roofing and room remodels that improved living conditions. The Porter County Health Department representative, Matthew Paul, the department administrator, requested funding for the FindHelp website to connect residents with services and to send a peer recovery coach to the juvenile-detention center to build early connections with at-risk youth.

Commissioners thanked staff and the selection committee for vetting applicants and voted to approve the full $125,000 distribution to the five organizations listed on the agenda. The motion carried by voice vote.