Chaired by Finance Director Doug Lukonen with General Sessions & Juvenile Court Judge Doug Chapman as vice chair, the Maury County Opioid Abatement Committee had a busy autumn, approving the allocation of $920,770 to pay for multiple remediation efforts.
Numerous organizations applied to the county’s community grant process, covering multiple abatement strategies.
Delta Recovery was awarded $297,060 to support un- and under-insured individuals in treatment, harm reduction resources, and recovery housing support,
Maury Regional Medical Center will receive $360,000 to onboard a new Federally Qualified Health Center psychiatrist and two care navigators for opioid use disorder to increase the healthcare workforce and improve continuity of care,
The Maury County Prevention Coalition will receive $120,710 to hire new key personnel to significantly expand their impact, increasing the number and uptake of local youth prevention programs,
Place of Hope has been awarded $70,000 to help cover the cost of residential treatment services and onboard an additional licensed counselor and case manager,
GWP Recovery Ministries will receive $38,000 to provide transportation services and funding for their recovery services,
$20,000 has been set aside for the county to build a website to house a comprehensive catalog and central database of information that would “aid any person affected by opioid use,” and
South Central Human Resource Agency has been given $15,000 for drug testing supplies to support the local Recovery Court program.
These programs address the substance use crisis from multiple fronts: treatment, housing, prevention, and more. Maury County’s Office of Financial Management has done exemplary work tracking and maintaining information from applicants to keep the committee informed and its procedures efficient. A recommendation for other counties employing a community grant model would be to create and maintain a similar database.
The breadth of the abatement strategies covered is also a testament to the composition of the committee itself, which includes the county sheriff, health director, a public defender, and leaders from local healthcare and recovery organizations. By representing so many perspectives from across the recovery ecosystem, the committee has ensured that potential projects get careful consideration from all angles.
The next application period for Maury County opioid abatement community grants will open in March 2025, in anticipation for FY 25-26. Application details can be found on the county website.