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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County commissioners have approved the distribution of $1.23 million in funds from the National Opioid Settlement, based on an advisory committee's recommendations.
The largest allocation of $225,000 was designated for continuation of the county prison's Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for inmates with substance use disorders, as administered by Pyramid Healthcare.
The distribution included an additional $36,000 to Pyramid Healthcare for an expansion of the prison's MAT program.
In addition, three allocations went to the Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program for support of prison-related programs: $96,000 for the prison women's re-entry program; $96,000 for prison's opioid use disorder services and $10,000 to continue the in-prison cognitive behavioral therapy group.
Other allocations are:
-- $110,438 to Blair Health Choices for its homeless outreach coordinator.
-- $117,487 to Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program's prevention specialist.
-- $15,650 to UPMC Western Behavior Health for The Healing Patch Children's Grief Program.
-- $76,190 to Spring Cove School District's Wayfinder K-12 Prevention Program.
-- $19,073 to CenClear Child Services for BALM Family Recovery Training and Naloxone distribution.
-- $126,462 to Evolution Counseling Services for the Multidimensional Family Therapy Program.
-- $23,500 to the Logan Township Police Department/Operation Our Town for drug prevention through K-9 intervention.
-- $53,736 to the International Overdose Awareness Day Committee for Lost Angels Blessing Bags project.
When meeting Thursday, commissioners Dave Kessling, Amy Webster and Laura Burke engaged in no public discussion before voting on the lengthy list that assigned portions of the settlement funds to 13 entities which included four ongoing programs and nine new ones.
Commissioners said after Thursday's meeting that their votes reflected recommendations by the advisory committee members who examined the applications.
"There's actually been a lot of discussion," Kessling said of the information supplied by the advisory committee.
Commissioner Laura Burke, who abstained from voting on a $110,438 allocation to Blair Health Choices in light of a conflict, said the advisory committee provided commissioners with a large packet of information and scores.
In addition, Burke said commissioners met with committee members Tricia Johnson, director of social services, and Joe Cox, chief juvenile probation officer, who presented them with explanations on their recommendations.
Pennsylvania's Sunshine Law requires governmental leaders to conduct business in public, which includes discussions leading up to a vote. But commissioners said the votes they cast at Thursday's meeting reflects their acceptance of the committee recommendations.
Burke also pointed out that the approved uses of the settlement funds are also subject to state review. While the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust has the power to withhold and cut funding to counties if they believe the money is spent inappropriately, the trust has long drawn criticism for a lack of transparency in its operations.
In addition to Johnson and Cox, the other members of the county's opioid advisory committee, as appointed by the commissioners, are: Drew Yingling, chairman of the Altoona Area School District counseling program; Amy Martin-Shanafelt, executive director of Blair Health Choices; Colleen Heim, former director of the Healthy Blair County Coalition; and Judy Russer, director of Blair County Drug and Alcohol Partnerships.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.