Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority
Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority
June 12, 2023 – On Friday June 9, 2023, a committee of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) voted to recommend more than $23 million in awards to 76 Virginia cities and counties. The vote represents the first major allocation of awards from the OAA since Virginia received its first set of national settlement payments from manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids last year. The payments from the various settling companies are expected to continue for at least 16 more years and will exceed $1 billion in total funding.
Senator Todd Pillion, Chairman of the OAA, noted the Authority’s board has moved quickly to make awards. “This money is needed urgently across the state to save lives,” he said. “The OAA carefully reviewed every application to make sure 100% of these funds are going to combat the addiction crisis that is stealing lives across Virginia.”
Dr. Sarah Thomason, a clinical pharmacist who chairs the OAA’s Grants Committee, said that Virginia is one of the first states to develop grant criteria for localities and to make awards based on those criteria. “It is truly exciting to see these funds being invested at the community level in programs that are evidence-based and focused on saving lives,” she said. “Many of our cities and counties have developed projects ready for initiation and we expect grants from the OAA will allow those projects to start making a difference quickly.”
The proposed awards include grants to thirteen individual cities or counties and 26 grants to partnerships in which multiple cities and/or counties have committed to a regional approach. Projects vary based on the identified needs of each community, and range from expansion of medication-assisted treatment programs, to recovery housing, to in-patient services. A summary of the proposed projects is attached.
In 2022 Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the first round of finalized settlements worth more than $500 million for the Commonwealth spread over the course of eighteen years, and predicted the total will increase to more than $1 billion as additional settlements are finalized.
The OAA was established by the General Assembly in 2021 to oversee the distribution of 55% of Virginia’s total settlement funds. Of the remainder, 30% is distributed directly to cities and counties, and the remaining 15% to the commonwealth. The use of funds is restricted by court orders and state statute, with the restrictions aiming for the funds to be used for opioid abatement efforts.
The full Board of Directors of the OAA will conduct a public meeting on June 23 to consider public comments before voting on the recommended grant awards. Information regarding the June 23 meeting can be found at www.voaa.us.
For more information contact info@voaa.us
Recommended Grants for Individual Cities/Counties
Accomack County $15,862
Accomack is partnering with the local community services board to provide outpatient behavioral health services including case management, care coordination, and access to medication for opioid use disorder. Will be available for all Accomack County residents including Tangier Island where the County will provide an air transportation option.
Appomattox County $18,091
Will initiate a medication lock box program including purchasing the boxes and educational materials and providing the boxes free to those in need in the community.
Arlington County $172,885
Expanding Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) treatment to double the number of people served including adding adolescent patients.
Galax City $18,908
Launch of the “Too Good for Drugs” prevention education program; enhance recovery court; naloxone training & distribution through the community services board; assisting non-profits with their peer-led recovery programs.
Hampton City $60,226
Peer-led recovery drop-in center; jail-based medication for opioid use disorders services.
Henrico County $70,200
Jail-based medication for opioid use disorders program expansion to increase the number of people served.
Louisa County $61,075
Dedicated substance use disorder clinician to allow additional patient services.
Roanoke City $252,867
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) training; peer recovery specialist for Sheriff’s Office & Adult Detention Center; xylazine test strips and spectrometer for prevention and harm reduction efforts; marketing campaign for the “warm line;” naloxone and training for Fire & EMS
Stafford County $124,755
First Watch Data analytics program to enable countywide strategic response to overdoses.
Chesterfield County $82,755
Planning effort to identify options and evaluate models for a 24-hour behavioral health facility.
Norfolk City $451,520
Planning for citywide opioid response, grants management oversight, and initial opioid prevention, intervention, and support programs.
Powhatan County $45,000
Community-wide opioid abatement needs analysis, survey of resources, report, and plan.
Suffolk City $180,304
Needs assessment and management system for providing grants to community organizations.
Recommended Grants to Cooperative Partnerships
DBHDS Region 1
Albemarle County - Fiscal Agent / Grant #1 $834,994
Partnership includes Albemarle County, Nelson County, Louisa County, Greene County, Fluvanna County, and Charlottesville City to expand the Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC) and expand crisis response (23-hour bed program)
Albemarle County - Fiscal Agent / Grant #2 $448,500
Partnership includes Albemarle County, Nelson County, Louisa County, Greene County, Fluvanna County, and Charlottesville City to expand the Blue Ridge Center Community Response and add community drop-in services.
Buena Vista City - Fiscal Agent $230,142
Partnership includes Buena Vista City, Rockbridge County, and Lexington City. Funding to support the first recovery residence in the area - HOPE House Recovery Home.
Culpeper County - Fiscal Agent $253,382
Partnership includes Culpeper County, Fauquier County, Madison County, Orange County, and Rappahannock County. Grant will fund a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist overdose response unit.
Lynchburg City - Fiscal Agent $1,946,372
Partnership includes Lynchburg City and Campbell County to fund a Crisis Receiving Center.
Rockingham County - Fiscal Agent / Grant #1 $189,264
Partnership includes Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City to expand the local Crisis Response Unit (CRU) including training for first responders, treatment/recovery supports, comprehensive wrap-around services, support mobile services, and harm reduction.
Rockingham County - Fiscal Agent / Grant #2 $104,632
Partnership includes Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City to expand the local Crisis Intervention Team Assessment Center (CITAC) to 24-hour operations.
Stafford County - Fiscal Agent $942,704
Partnership includes Stafford County, Caroline County, King George County, Spotsylvania County, and Fredericksburg City. The partnership will implement mobile delivery of medication for opioid use disorders and expand detox services for women at the Sunshine Lady House.
DBHDS Region 2
Fairfax County – Fiscal Agent $3,613,048
Partnership includes Fairfax County, Arlington County, Prince William County, Loudoun County, and Alexandria City. The grant will help to create a new residential treatment program for adolescents.
Prince William County – Fiscal Agent $800,000
Partnership includes Prince William County, Manassas City, and Manassas Park City. The grant will expand an existing Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) program to double the number of participants.
DBHDS Region 3
Grayson County – Fiscal Agent $260,199
Partnership includes Grayson County, Carroll County, and Galax City to enhance the existing recovery court.
Montgomery County – Fiscal Agent $3,391,750
Partnership includes Montgomery County, Giles County, Floyd County, Pulaski County, and Radford City. The grant provides funding for the “New River Valley Ecosystem of Recovery,” with expansion of in-patient treatment, medication for opioid use disorders, enhancement of transportation, the addition of recovery court clinicians, expansion of the recovery court program, expansion of law enforcement critical engagement integrating education, mobile treatment and harm reduction, trauma-informed care, ACEs prevention programming, and other prevention/education engagement/outreach, and assessment of supportive housing and adolescent in-patient treatment models to support families.
Roanoke City – Fiscal Agent $500,000
Partnership with Roanoke City and Roanoke County to support and expand the “Roanoke Valley Collective Response (RVCR) Recovery Ecosystem.”
Smyth County – Fiscal Agent $1,000,000
Partnership includes Smyth County, Bland County, Carroll County, Grayson County, Wythe County, and Galax City. Expands Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) services and medication for opioid use disorders, and assists in providing region-wide transitional recovery housing.
Washington County – Fiscal Agent $745,000
Partnership includes Washington County and Bristol City to purchase the “Mended Women” residential treatment center for women.
Wise County – Fiscal Agent $346,222
Partnership includes Wise County, Lee County, Scott County, and Norton City to fund an intensive outpatient treatment facility for youth.
DBHDS Region 4
Chesterfield County – Fiscal Agent $1,666,411
Partnership includes Chesterfield County, Powhatan County, Colonial Heights City, and Petersburg City to expand mobile outreach services for harm reduction, treatment, and support.
Hanover County – Fiscal Agent $214,257
Partnership includes Hanover County, Chesterfield County, and Richmond City to expand “Project Recover” to add Hanover and to add capacity in Chesterfield and Richmond. “Project Recover” embeds certified peers with first responders to connect people who overdose to resources. It is a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the “Imagine the Freedom” Foundation, and several localities in Central Virginia.
Henrico County - Fiscal Agent $700,311
Partnership includes Henrico County, Charles City County, and New Kent County to implement a new treatment and housing program for pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorders.
DBHDS Region 5
Chesapeake City – Fiscal Agent $3,000,000
Partnership includes Chesapeake City and Virginia Beach City to construct a new 20 bed in-patient psychiatric unit in partnership with Chesapeake Regional Healthcare.
Recommended Planning Grants for Cooperative Partnerships
DBHDS Region 1
Rockingham County – Fiscal Agent $34,000
Partnership includes Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City to undergo a planning study that uses Cross Systems Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) to bring together stakeholders to identify resources and gaps in services at each intercept (every entry point in the criminal justice system) and develop action plans to divert the target population.
Waynesboro City – Fiscal Agent $100,000
Partnership includes Waynesboro City, Augusta County, and Staunton City to engage a plan that includes data collection, assessment, and community visioning for opioid abatement strategies.
DBHDS Region 3
Martinsville City – Fiscal Agent $20,000
Partnership includes Martinsville City and Henry County to study and identify community-based options for most effective long-term use of funds for abatement.
Brunswick County – Fiscal Agent $57,670
Partnership with Brunswick County, Halifax County, and Mecklenburg County to conduct a needs assessment and develop an abatement plan.
DBHDS Region 4
Henrico County – Fiscal Agent $100,000
Partnership includes Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Hanover County, and Richmond City to identify needs, gaps, and resources to support pregnant and nursing mothers across the Richmond metro area.
DBHDS Region 5
Virginia Beach City – Fiscal Agent $50,000
Partnership includes Virginia Beach City, Chesapeake City, Norfolk City, Suffolk City, and Portsmouth City to develop a plan to enhance the full continuum of care available to South Hampton Roads in treatment and support for recovery from OUD.