The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, is allocating $1 million from its opioid settlement to nonprofit organizations working to address the opioid crisis through treatment and recovery services.
As part of the settlement, St. Petersburg will receive $6 million over 18 years.
The city aims to fill gaps in resources and services within the community and will use the money to provide grants for new and innovative proposals that are not funded through existing sources, the city said in a news release.
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The city of St. Petersburg, Florida, is allocating $1 million from its opioid settlement to nonprofit organizations working to address the opioid crisis through treatment and recovery services. (iStock)
Grants will be awarded to proposals that provide respite housing, overdose prevention, substance use prevention and education, harm reduction, and peer support, with preference given to proposals that focus on respite housing, harm reduction, and peer support.
“The number of people suffering from addiction continues to rise and there is never enough help for them,” said Matthew Schafer, director of operations for Real Recovery Solutions. Fox 13.
Real Recovery Solutions, which runs sober living facilities in Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay area, is not eligible for the grant but is working with nonprofits that could use the money to sponsor someone, according to the outlet.
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As part of the settlement, St. Petersburg will receive $6 million over 18 years. (Reuters/George Frey/File Photo)
“[Non-profits] “We're going to fund maybe two or three weeks of sobriety, and then we're going to give the recovering addict an opportunity to get a job and start paying their own rent,” Schafer said.
Schafer said one of the biggest needs in the region is making detox treatment more accessible and affordable: Many detox centers are privately funded and require full payment or insurance, but some have long waiting lists for beds.
Grants will be awarded to proposals that provide respite housing, overdose prevention, drug use prevention and education, harm reduction and peer support. (Associated Press)
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“[Addicts] “They say, 'You're not going to get out of bed for three to five days,' and there are so many resources in underfunded and uninsured communities, and I think that would be a big help. Unfortunately, those three to five days can really be a matter of life and death,” Schafer said.
Nonprofits were asked to apply for grant funding through the city of St. Petersburg by Oct. 20.
