Polk County Distributes Opioid Settlement Funds

Des Moines, IA- Polk County will distribute almost $1,000,000 in county opioid settlement funds to five organizations ​over two years to provide supports for people with lived experience of substance use. The Board of Supervisors passed Resolutions on June 18, 2024 to award funds to Bridges of Iowa, Full Circle Recovery Community Center, Primary Health Care, UCS Healthcare, and St. Vincent de Paul of Des Moines.

The funds will expand access to integrated healthcare and peer supports for people with substance use disorders, especially those with opioid use disorder. "The main goal of these projects is to provide immediate, direct support for people who have been harmed by the opioid epidemic, which follows the intent of the opioid settlements," said Annie Uetz, Director of Polk County Behavioral Health & Disability Services. A new opioid settlement-funded grant opportunity for harm reduction supplies is now available.

For more information on opioid settlement-funded initiatives, visit https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/behavioral-health-disability-services/opioid-settlement-funds/.