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Select Board agrees to BRPC administering opioid-settlement funds for youth prevention
Summary
The Select Board signed on to a Berkshire Regional Planning Commission proposal to administer opioid settlement funds for youth substance-use prevention and peer mental-health supports; the motion passed with one recorded no vote.
The Dalton Select Board voted to accept a proposal from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) to administer opioid-settlement funds for youth substance-use prevention and mental-health promotion.
Andy Anderson of BRPC described work with the Spark Coalition and ongoing prevention-needs assessments showing declines in youth substance use across the county. The BRPC proposal would use settlement funds to support peer-to-peer mental-health efforts, vaping and alcohol education, and targeted programming in the Central Berkshire Regional School District and partner organizations.
A motion to sign the town on to BRPC’s administration of the funds was moved and seconded. The board approved the motion; the meeting record notes one vote in opposition.
Board members and town staff said the planning commission will coordinate with local schools, the Board of Health, police and community partners to deploy funds for programs not already covered by existing grants. The BRPC representative indicated the settlement funds would supplement existing state grant work and cover activities the current grant cannot fund.
