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West Virginia First Foundation approves first grant program for opioid settlement funds

(Capitol Notes - Graphic Illustration/MetroCreative)

CHARLESTON — While some have accused the private nonprofit set up by West Virginia’s state, county, and local officials of being too slow to begin distributing the millions in opioid settlement funds they are expected to receive, the application period for a new grant program has just opened up.

During a virtual meeting Thursday afternoon, members of the West Virginia First Foundation approved the creation of the Initial Opportunity Grant program.

“It was determined that we would seek to distribute funds this year, and then a process would need to be developed, and an application to do so,” explained Matt Harvey, Jefferson County prosecuting attorney and chairman of the West Virginia First Foundation.

The $19.2 million Initial Opportunity Grant program will distribute $800,000 per target area to six regions of the state, with up to four awards per target area per region.

Funding can be used for four targets dealing with the state’s substance use disorder crisis: drug diversion programs and interdiction programs, youth drug prevention and workforce development, child advocacy centers and pregnant/parenting women (PPW) neonatal abstinence syndrome programs and transitional and/or recovery housing expansion.

“We discussed at length what sort of priorities do we want to name,” said Parkersburg Mayor and foundation member Tom Joyce, who was on the Initial Opportunity Committee. “This is not what we intend to plan long-term … instead, this is the low-hanging fruit. These are the effective and efficient programs that we already see in the state that need a little bit of extra funding to kind of boost their services and provide the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time.”

Diversion and interdiction programs could include law enforcement-assisted diversion, crisis intervention teams, quick response teams, police and peer programs, day report centers, etc. The goal of these programs is to keep those with substance use disorder out of the correctional system and help provide treatment and recovery.

Youth drug prevention and workforce development programs could include educational campaigns in schools to keep the next generation away from drug use, and job training programs to provide those in recovery the skills to land jobs and provide stability.

Child advocacy centers and pregnant/parenting women (PPW) neonatal abstinence syndrome programs would focus on providing resources for children affected by substance use disorder either through drug use by family members or children exposed to drugs in the womb. According to a report presented to lawmakers last week, the state had the highest rate in the nation in 2020 for the number of infants screened for prenatal substance exposure.

Grant funding for transitional and/or recovery housing expansion would be limited to currently certified recovery home operators in the state. Eligible programs would provide supporting housing services to those in active recovery from substance use disorder.

“This is really the foundation’s first opportunity to deploy resources into the hands of our friends that are fighting to save lives and restore families in West Virginia,” said West Virginia First Foundation Executive Director Jonathan Board. “That’s our sole charge here.”

Eligibility for the Initial Opportunity Grant program is limited to non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and other kinds of non-profits and organizations that fulfill a charitable or public purpose. Organizations with a statewide mandate would only be able to apply in the region where their organization is headquartered or where the project they’re requesting the grant for is located. For-profit entities are excluded from applying.

Those wishing to apply can visit “http://wvfirst.org”>wvfirst.org and click on “grants,” where they can learn more about the Initial Opportunity Grant program and download the application, which are due by midnight on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The applications would be reviewed by the foundation’s statewide expert panel, which includes representatives of law enforcement corrections, the court system, substance use treatment and recovery, and healthcare. The applications will be reviewed based on scoring rubrics, such as evidence-based strategies, how the programs applying for the grant fit into the foundation’s strategic vision, implementation and sustainability, transparency and fairness, and impact and measurability.

Once approved, grants would be disbursed in phases, with 40% disbursed initially, then tranches of 20% after that. Awards would be announced on or before Dec. 31. Grant awardees would also have to abide by a rigorous review process, including filing financial and accounting reports with the foundation.

Representatives of the cities and counties involved in opioid litigation – as well as the Attorney General’s Office – agreed to a memorandum of understanding in 2023 to create the West Virginia First Foundation, as well as a formula for distributing settlement awards. The MOU included all 55 counties and more than 220 cities.

Johnson & Johnson, Teva, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Walmart, Allergan, and Rite Aid agreed to a $940 million settlement with the state and local governments for their part in manufacturing and distributing prescription opioids to West Virginia, feeding a substance use crisis.

The West Virginia First program will divide settlement dollars from opioid manufacturers and distributors, with 24.5% going to cities and counties, 3% going to the Attorney General’s Office and 72.5% going to the West Virginia First Foundation. The foundation already has more than $200 million.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com

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