Fayette County’s Opioid Abatement Commission continues to lay the groundwork for distribution of just over $3 million in settlement funds. The Commission’s executive committee met Thursday. Commission Chair Stephanie Ragland said plans call for filing a “recovery-ready community” application in March.
“We’ll be working with other community partners to help us to see what we have in place and what areas we need to brush up on to make us a recovery-ready community,” said Ragland.
Ragland says that can help set the framework in areas like drug prevention and treatment when it comes to allocating opioid settlement dollars. The distribution of those funds is yet to be determined.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird serves on the Opioid Abatement Commission Executive Committee. She spoke of the importance of drug treatment while in jail as well as follow-up attention once out of incarceration.
“Straight into a program that’s gonna keep them structured, kind of provide some supports to them. I think that will go a long way in helping to kind of reduce the repeat offense situations that we’re seeing,” said Baird.
Other issues being explored by the Opioid Abatement Commission Executive Committee are expanding harm reduction efforts, examining medications to treat addiction, and broader access to overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone.
Committee members spoke about holding a town hall meeting the first of the year in preparation for becoming a recovery-ready community.
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