Douglas County is joining efforts with Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee on programs that will go further in fighting opioid abuse.
Douglas County is joining efforts with Chelan County and the City of Wenatchee on programs that will go further in fighting opioid abuse. In a settlement with five companies that produced or sold opioids across the county, Washington State and 125 eligible local governments will share $371.8 million. As a result of the settlement, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties, along with the cities of East Wenatchee, Wenatchee, and Moses Lake, formed the North Central Washington Opioid Abatement Council.
The commitment of some of Douglas County’s opioid settlement dollars to the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, and the Center for Drug and Alcohol Treatment will initially be the "most effective way to initially get the dollars out there working to move the needle in a meaningful way" Douglas County Commissioner Marc Straub said.
Douglas County has allocated $110,000 to the Regional Justice Center for the purchase of 20 medical sensors, and $54,120 for a 5-year sensor subscription. These medical sensors, installed in single occupancy booking and detoxing cells, detect rapid changes in breathing and pulse rates.
In addition to the sensors, Douglas County will contribute $164,000 to The Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment for a part-time physical health provider (up to two years) to treat patients on-site.
In accord with the settlement agreement, Douglas County is expected to receive approximately $1.7 million over the next 18 years from its settlement share. As we look forward to future funding, the county is dedicated to seeking and exploring various additional funding opportunities for programs that benefit our communities and combat the devastating effects of opioid abuse.
You may read more about our combined efforts with Chelan County in the story featured on their website here.