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Lawrence County approves opioid-settlement grant to Highland House to add caseworkers
Summary
The Lawrence County commissioners approved Resolution 24 to allocate roughly $89,874 in opioid‑settlement funds to Highland House in Newcastle to fund additional caseworkers supporting residents; the board said the funds come from a statewide trust tied to pharmaceutical settlements, not local tax revenue.
The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 approved a request from the county opioid advisory board to allocate opioid‑settlement funds to Highland House, a recovery and residential program in Newcastle. County Administrator Mr. Vanasco, who chairs the advisory board, said the award is intended to add caseworkers to better support residents.
“Adding a couple of case workers into the house will better support the folks that are living there,” Mr. Vanasco said, describing the proposal the advisory board forwarded to the statewide opioid trust. He said the trust and the local committee had reviewed and approved the plan and that the funds originate from settlements and fines paid by pharmaceutical companies, not from county tax revenue.
The resolution submitted to the board requested $89,874 for Highland House; the meeting record also contains one instance where the figure is reported as $89,974. The board voted to approve the allocation and instructed county staff to process the requested payment after administrative checks. Commissioners noted the request arrived through the established local and statewide review process for opioid‑settlement dollars.
The allocation is intended to be used for staffing support at Highland House; no additional details about the number of positions, contract terms or expected start dates were provided at the meeting. The board did not direct further study or amendments to the award during the session.
The commission moved and seconded the resolution and the motion carried. The board recorded Commissioner Kennedy voting yes; the record shows the motion carried among the commissioners present.
