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Board approves new BLADE opioid coalition grant round and forwards jail medication ask
Summary
The Crow Wing County board approved a motion to authorize a new round of opioid settlement grant awards for prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction recommended by the BLADE coalition; the discussion included a related request from the jail for a $50,000 allocation to support SUBLOCADE injections and an explanation that Indivior would cover two outpatient doses if the jail administers the first dose.
Representatives of the BLADE opioid coalition asked the board to approve another round of opioid settlement grants focused on prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction. Richard Grotner, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and coalition member, outlined a framework he called "continuum capital" and said the coalition seeks to expand prevention programs, peer support and recovery community services already funded in an earlier grant round.
"I'm Richard Grotner... community, collaboration, and impact," Grotner told the board, describing efforts to place prevention and recovery supports in schools and to build social and housing supports for people in recovery.
During the same agenda item, Ron Ingram of the county jail told the board he had been approached by Indivior, the manufacturer of SUBLOCADE, and requested a $50,000 allocation so the jail could administer initial injections in custody. Ingram said Indivior would ensure the next two outpatient doses are covered for people who receive the initial dose in jail. "SUBLOCADE is a once a month long acting buprenorphine," he said, and estimated per-dose cost between $1,500 and $2,100 depending on supplier.
Nurses and treatment providers supported the request as a harm-reduction strategy. "Medication for opioid use disorder is considered the gold standard in care," said Jess Schwartz, a certified addictions nurse with Essentia Health, who argued continuity of medication through the jail-to-community transition can reduce overdose risk. Some commissioners questioned whether monthly injectable medication fits the intended use of opioid settlement dollars, which one commissioner described as more prevention-focused; other commissioners and presenters characterized the SUBLOCADE option as harm reduction and life-saving for people recently released from custody.
Commissioner Luebke moved to approve the BLADE funding request and the motion passed on roll call.
Key numeric details discussed: BLADE requested a new round of grants with the goal of issuing an RFP by July; the jail reported 99 inmates received Subutex between Jan. 1, 2024 and March 21, 2025; Subutex expenditures for that period were $6,967.57; the jail requested $50,000 to cover SUBLOCADE injections in custody (per-dose cost estimated $1,500–$2,100).
