The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, is allocating $1 million from an opioid settlement to nonprofit organizations working to address the opioid crisis through treatment services and recovery support.
As part of the deal, St. Petersburg will receive $6 million over 18 years.
The city is looking to fill resource or service gaps in the community and plans to use the money to offer grants for new and innovative proposals that are not already being funded by existing sources, the city said in a news release.
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The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, is allocating $1 million from an opioid settlement to nonprofit organizations working to address the opioid crisis through treatment services and recovery support. (iStock)
Grants will be awarded to proposals that offer respite housing, overdose prevention, substance use prevention and education, harm reduction, and peer support, with priority given to proposals that focus on respite housing, harm reduction, and peer support.
“There is never enough help for addiction as rates continue to rise,” Matthew Schaefer, chief operating officer of Real Recovery Solutions, told Fox 13.
Real Recovery Solutions, which runs sober living centers in Pinellas County and around the Tampa Bay region, is not eligible for the grant money but works with nonprofits that can use the funds to sponsor someone, the outlet reported.
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As part of the deal, St. Petersburg will receive $6 million over 18 years. (REUTERS/George Frey/File photo)
“[Non-profits] “This will fund maybe two or three weeks of sober living and give that recovering addict the opportunity to look for a job and start paying their own rent,” Schaefer said.
According to Schaefer, one of the region's biggest needs is to make detox treatment more accessible and affordable. Many detox centers are privately funded and require full payment or insurance, but others have long waiting lists for a bed.
Grants will be awarded to proposals that offer respite housing, overdose prevention, substance use prevention and education, harm reduction, and peer support. (AP Agency)
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“[Addicts] “People are told, 'Hey, you know, we're three to five days without a bed.' There's a lack of resources for our community with underfunding or uninsured. I think that could be a big help. Unfortunately, those three to five days could really be life or death,” Schaefer said.
Nonprofit groups had until Oct. 20 to apply for grant money through the city of St. Petersburg.
