Opioid abatement funding continues in El Paso and Teller Counties
Dec 11, 2024
The Pikes Peak Region 16 Opioid Abatement Council, which covers El Paso in Teller Counties, announced its second funding opportunity Wednesday.This stems from the settlements state attorneys reached with makers and sellers of opioid painkillers. Initium Health, which are Denver-based health care consultants, will be managing applications from now until January 31. Initium Health says they will be helping with the following: facilitating the meetings publicizing grant opportunities collecting dataRegion 16 is one of 19 regional councils set to aid the disbursement funds under Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. According to Initium Health, the state expects to get more than $750 million over 18 years, with El Paso and Teller Counties getting around $65 million. Each project must provide at least one of the following services: youth prevention community prevention, education and awareness medication-assisted treatment/medications for opioid use disorder recovery supports and transitions family advocacyIn addition, Region 16 will announce grants for community needs that it identifies. Colorado's Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen released the following statement about the abatement: States have been waiting for this opportunity to mitigate the harm of the opioid crisis and its well under way in Region 16. El Paso and Teller Counties have many talented community organizations and we have designed a user-friendly web based application with clear criteria to ensure that good ideas have an opportunity to be funded.For more information or to apply, visit Pikes Peak Region 16's website. _______Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.