Opioid funds nationwide settlement
(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) St. Joseph will see $157,000 a year to help fight the opioid crisis.
St. Joseph and Buchanan county are getting closer to receiving the opioid funds from a nationwide settlement.
A opioid settlement of more than 26 billion dollars from big pharmaceutical companies was awarded throughout the united states for manufacturing and selling of opioids.
Capt. Shawn Collie says, “The MOU’s are in place with the city and county, the application process has been made public. And so now it’s basically just waiting for that deadline. And then once we have all the applications back in, as part of the committee will meet to review and try to start dissecting the request and the amount of money we have available with with how it’s going to be dispersed.”
The application deadline is February 29th.
“Is to review the applications to, you know, try to come up with how the money is going to be dispersed. and then to review, once once mine is dispersed, where you have to go back and review and make sure that the money is being spent according to the settlement, funds requirements. And so even within the application process, you know, there’s different stuff as far as the types of requests as far as if it’s going to be for treatment, if it’s going to be for an education, prevention. and within the application process, it’s outlined on how that money has to be spent.” Collie explains, the main objective of the settlement funds review board.
1.6 million dollars will be distributed to qualifying agencies in St. Joseph and Buchanan County over the next 17 years.
