Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment Awards Over $1 Million in Opioid Settlement Funds

The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE), on behalf of the Region 3 Opioid Abatement Council, has awarded $1.6 million to five local organizations to fund programs addressing the opioid crisis in Weld County. These awards were a result of a formal request for proposals (RFP) process late last year.

The Ault Police Department, Community Grief Center, North Colorado Health Alliance, North Colorado Health Network, and North Range Behavioral Health will all receive the project grants for funding allocated to the county from the Colorado Attorney General Office’s participation in a national opioid settlement that yielded the state $520 million in opioid settlement dollars.

Funding from this round of grant awards will go to purchase and train a K-9 unit specifically trained in narcotics detection, group support for individuals and families who have experienced the death of a loved one due to the opioid crisis, increased care coordination staffing, substance use disorder treatment, withdraw management, youth opioid support teams and a first response vehicle with trained staff to respond when substance abuse is considered to the be the underlying cause of the crisis.

The organizations that received funding were chosen by a committee based on their work to prevent opioid use in Colorado, as well as a program focused on recovery, treatment, prevention, and education efforts.

For questions or information about WCDPHE’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Education and Prevention program or the Weld County (Region 3) Opioid Council, please contact Erin Olson at [email protected] or visit www.weld.gov/Go/SubstancePrevention.