---

The Chisago County Opioid Action Council is nearly ready to announce funding availability in the form of grants for projects and outreach — that will reduce the harm caused by prescription and illegal opiates in Chisago County.  

The council has $300,000 earmarked for the first round of grant applications, which could  begin to be accepted in coming weeks.  An outline reviewed at the meeting last week has a portal for applications going live April 22.

Opioid Action Council members met last week to put finishing touches on the granting criteria;  while setting priority areas needing to be addressed and discussing the logistics of distributing funds...ie: whether grants will help with expenses up-front or be reimbursement.

The group agreed not to  restrict grants to formal non-profit applicants.   There may be a youth church group that has a plan utilizing grant monies, for example.  Or, an organization might need funds for training in administering naloxone.  

Grants will be capped at $60,000 for now but the grant application review committee has the ability to exceed this if warranted by the proposal.

Grant spending has about as many options as there are potential applicants.  

Madelyn Jensen, Chisago County Public Health Council liaison, mentioned fire departments for instance, have expressed interest in being trained in naloxone use (a product that reverses overdose) The grant money could go towards either hiring an existing trainer or developing a skilled facilitator here in Chisago County.

The action council collected responses from a public on-line survey recently,  and  responses were divided into targeted needs. These include criminal justice, prevention, treatment/recovery and administrative expenses for tracking how opioid settlement money is spent and reporting to the state.  

The council is looking to fund projects that have an effect on Chisago County populations— communities, schools, and places impacted by the opioid and fentanyl/ narcotics crisis.

The Action Council through Chisago County is overseeing the use of $584, 364 which is the initial county share of the huge $26 billion pharmaceutical company lawsuit settlement,  bringing $300 million to the State of MN.

Counties received portions of the state total and Chisago is slated to receive $3.8 million over 18 years.

Guest speaker, Alicia House executive director for the Steve Rummler Foundation, discussed what other counties are doing to utilize their settlement funds. She gave tips on cost effective ways for acquiring materials, such as nasal and injection style overdose reversal products.  The Foundation has items available to the general public and also distributes testing strips used to determine if something contains an alien substance such as fentanyl. 

House advised that the local council should welcome input from the local area on what Chisago County needs.  “Create space to welcome in and work with your community,” she added. 

She did not promote Foundation products over other suppliers.  Some organizations, and schools might find it more efficient to use Minnesota Department of Health to find harm reduction materials through an on-line portal for authorized contacts.

As someone who has been in the fentanyl and opioid crisis response universe for a while, she explained that overdose recovery products are decreasing in price and there are now three brands readily available.  Having access to these has had an impact on opioid related death statistics.

The public has embraced  naloxone access points or NAPs, which House reports are consistently seeing interest and demand.  

Chisago County has NAPs at the Chisago Lakes Area Library, the food pantries in North Branch and in Chisago City, Soo Fly Salon in Shafer.  

Thrifty White and Nucara Pharmacies will fill prescriptions for naloxone through insurance.

Fairview Medical Center in Wyoming on March 22 opened a naloxone access point.  It partnered with the Steve Rummler Hope Network to distribute free intramuscular Naloxone— no questions asked.

The City of Wyoming and Police Department also supported this access point after agreeing it is a “community need.”

The public is invited to a program involving naloxone free training in its use,  at the Chisago Lakes Area Library, April 16 at 6 p.m.

The council website is www.chisagocountymn.gov/305/Opioid-Settlement.

---