Putnam Allots $700,000 In Opioid Settlement Funds To 5 Nonprofits

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Five local organizations will receive more than $700,000 in funding from opioid settlement funds allotted to Putnam County.

New York State is receiving more than $2 billion through various settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. A portion of the funding from these settlements is going to local governments, with the remainder deposited into a dedicated fund to support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.

More than $192 million was deposited into the settlement fund account for the first fiscal year and awarded in accordance with the priorities of the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board.

Earlier this year, County Executive Kevin Byrne and the County Legislature agreed to set up a formal process to request proposals for the money that would come to Putnam. Funds for the chosen proposals were approved for distribution at the legislature's meeting Dec. 5.

This follows through on the county executive’s commitment to not hoard settlement funds, but ensure that they are distributed effectively in the community, he said.

"Prior to the pandemic, the opioid crisis was the public health crisis of our lifetime, and in many ways COVID only exacerbated it. It’s critical that we get this money into the hands of those experts who will be helping those struggling with addiction," Byrne said in an announcement about the funding. "We received some incredible proposals from local providers and I’m confident that they’re going to do excellent work moving forward. Thank you to everyone who put in so much work evaluating the proposals."

Legislator Amy Sayegh, who chairs the Health Committee, was part of the committee that evaluated all proposals.

"Anytime we can increase residents access to help and support of services, we should take advantage of that opportunity," she said. "I was extremely impressed with all the requests submitted, and I’m glad we were able to get this done."

The community providers that applied all provided detailed plans to utilize opioid settlement money to enhance their integrated co-occurring substance misuse and mental health treatment services.

• PeopleUSA’s proposal includes enhancing services at the Rose House in Garrison as well as hiring a full-time peer navigator with lived experience to help individuals manage their own ongoing recovery.
• St. Christopher’s Inn plans to enhance treatment and recovery efforts at their residential and outpatient facilities by hiring a part-time psychotherapist and a part-time specialist.
• Green Chimneys’ focus on services for youth will include integrating a substance misuse program for those ages 10 to 21.
• CoveCare will develop a community training center for staff at all levels across a range of community agencies, including the Behavioral Health Hub in Philipstown, to include medication prescribers, clinicians, front desk staff, care managers, peers, and support staff.
• The Putnam County Prevention Council plans to use this funding to focus on preventing fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses by increasing access to naloxone, peer support services, drug testing kits, and training.

"I was thoroughly impressed with the level of care and expertise that went into each proposal," said Sara Servadio, Commissioner of Mental Health, Social Services & Youth Bureau. "We’re trying to create a cohesive county-wide system of care that has no wrong point of entry. We need to make it so that anyone seeking help feels welcome in receiving that help, and that the assistance they are receiving is effective in addressing their complex and unique needs."