Clinton County approved opioid settlement funds for recovery, vaping prevention, and staff wellness.
Clinton County, Indiana, officials approved more than $113,000 in opioid settlement funding for local programs tied to addiction recovery, youth vaping prevention, transportation help, and mental health support for sheriff’s deputies and jail workers. The Indiana county funding came from nationwide legal settlements involving drug companies and distributors that were accused of helping to fuel the opioid epidemic through misleading marketing and improper distribution of addictive pain medications. Indiana counties are expected to receive a share of more than $980 million through 2038.
County leaders approved seven separate projects during the final round of funding. Several of the grants focused on helping people dealing with addiction get treatment and stay on track during recovery. Healthy Communities of Clinton County received nearly $34,000 to continue recovery support services and help residents understand insurance coverage connected to treatment and counseling. The Paul Phillippe Resource Center was given $16,000 to assist residents who need rides to appointments related to treatment, court, probation, or recovery programs.
Another grant went to Clinton County Probation. The department received $4,500 to help cover drug testing costs for probationers struggling financially. Officials said regular testing can become difficult for people already dealing with money problems, and the funding will help keep people in compliance with court requirements while they work through recovery programs.
Part of the funding also focused on vaping among young people. Rossville Middle School was awarded $4,500 to add vape detectors in student bathrooms throughout the school building. Principal Mike Hammons said the detectors are meant to discourage students from vaping during school hours and to stop students who may already be using e-cigarettes on campus. The devices send alerts through text messages and email whenever vapor is detected, allowing school administrators to respond quickly.
Wild Cat Solid Waste Management received $2,000 to go towards vaping education and disposal efforts across the community. The project includes helping schools and residents properly throw away vaping devices while also sharing information about the health concerns tied to vaping among teenagers.
One of the larger grants went to WeCare of Clinton County. The group received $37,500 to support transitional housing for women recovering from addiction and mental health struggles. Transitional housing programs often give residents a stable place to live while they rebuild their lives, attend counseling, and search for employment or long-term housing.
County officials also approved $15,000 for mental health services and wellness programs for sheriff’s deputies and jail staff. Committee members said concerns had been raised about stress inside the department following recent controversy connected to former Sheriff Richard Kelly and his wife, Ashley Kelly, who previously worked as a jail matron. During earlier county meetings, committee chair Lori Archibald said workers described feeling fearful and emotionally drained because of conditions inside the workplace.
Archibald told Indiana county commissioners that employees did not feel they had enough support or resources to deal with the stress they were facing. Mental health concerns among first responders and jail workers have become a growing topic across the country, especially in departments dealing with long hours, public pressure, and emotionally difficult situations. The original request for the sheriff’s office was set at $10,000, but county commissioners later increased the amount to $15,000 after discussing the matter during a public meeting. Commissioner Bert Weaver said the county had both the funding and the need to support employees dealing with mental strain.
Despite recent attention surrounding problems within the sheriff’s office, local leaders said the opioid settlement projects represent positive work happening throughout the county. Archibald said the actions taken by a small number of people should not take away from the efforts being made to improve the community and support residents facing addiction, recovery, and mental health challenges.
Sources:
Clinton Co. OKs opioid money to projects including deputies’ mental health
Clinton County wraps up opioid settlement funding distribution
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