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Commissioners approve opioid-settlement paperwork tied to regional MOAT fund
Summary
Daniels County commissioners voted to approve opioid-settlement paperwork that places local funds with the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust (MOAT) managed through Eastern Montana Mental Health, saying pooled regional funds can be used for targeted addiction treatment and related services.
Daniels County commissioners approved paperwork to participate in a regional opioid-abatement fund managed by the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust (MOAT) via Eastern Montana Mental Health.
A commissioner explained the county is one of 17 eastern Montana counties that direct settlement money into MOAT so the funds can be concentrated and used for programs the region identifies as priorities. The commissioner said MOAT has specific criteria limiting disbursements to projects benefiting those counties and that larger pooled grants make some interventions feasible where isolated county funds would not.
Speakers discussed how MOAT distributes funds: urban areas administer their own programs while this region relies on the eastern Montana structure to coordinate services such as psychiatric care and telehealth support for local law enforcement and hospitals. The discussion also noted frustrations about capacity for psychiatric placements and past difficulties finding placements for patients picked up by law enforcement.
The board made and seconded a motion to approve the opioid-settlement paperwork. The motion was approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the hearing transcript.
The county will sign documents enabling MOAT to manage and disburse settlement funds for regional opioid response projects. Specific grant applications, project timelines and dollar amounts were not specified during the discussion.
