Butler County commissioners distribute opioid settlement money
County commissioners distributed over $700,000 to addiction recovery and treatment programs from national opioid misuse settlement funds.
On Wednesday, commissioners approved agreements to allocate $736,490 to six programs including two at Butler County Community College.
BC3 will receive $92,000 to operate the Hope is Dope program for this year and $51,212 for the Personal Empowerment Initiative through June 30. Another $21,000 for the Personal Empowerment Initiative came from non-opioid funds.
The Center for Community Resources was awarded $71,883 for its housing coordinator position and reintegration apartment program for this year.
The Nonprofit Development Corporation will receive $393,200 to operate the recovery center for this year.
The Recovery Empower Institute LLC will receive $103,195 to run the LIFE Medication Assisted Treatment Support Group for this year.
Butler ambulance Service, East Butler Volunteer Fire Company Ambulance Service and Quality EMS will share $25,000 for the EMS Opioid Treatment Incentive program.
The county has received $4,475,249 is settlement funds since August 2022, Ann Brown, county budget director, said Thursday. As of the end of 2024, the county distributed $997,000 to housing, recovery and treatment programs. That amount doesn’t include the distributions approved Wednesday.
Agencies and organizations who want some of the settlement money must apply, the county’s criminal justice advisory board vets the applications and the commissioners vote on the allocations, Brown said.
According to the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust website, the state was expected to receive $1.07 billion over 18 years from the first wave of settlements reached in 2021 with distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen; manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and parent company Johnson & Johnson.
Payments from pharmacy chains CVS, Walgreens and Walmart; and manufacturers Allergan and Teva from the second wave of settlements in 2022 haven’t been finalized, but the payments will be spread over 15 years.
Also in 2022, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals emerged from bankruptcy protection and agreed to a $1.7 billion national settlement. In early 2023, Pennsylvania received an initial payment of $7 million.
Deadlines for the county to spend the money from the settlements varies, Brown said.
In other business Wednesday, commissioners agreed to advertise for bids to replace the Marion Township water reservoir, a stormwater project in Homeacre in Butler Township, and water line and demolition projects in Jackson Township. The projects will be funded by Community Development Block Grant funds.
