County to Vote on Opioid Funding Projects
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Anderson County Council will vote tonight on second reading on a plan requested by the City of Belton for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office to take over law enforcement in the city. The officers assigned to Belton would serve exclusively in that area and cars and uniforms would reflect the city they serve.
Last night Belton City Council approved the proposal on first reading. To take effect, the plan requires a second-reading vote by the city council and a third reading by the county council.
Leadership in both the city and county have expressed support for the move, and expect it to streamline and provide stability of personnel among law enforcement in Belton.
Council will also consider four new projects in the county for $1.1 million of the county’s opioid settlement funds. These are:
· $525,000 to AnMed for treatment of indigent persons with opioid use disorder.
· $94,380 to expand services of FAVOR (Faces And Voices Of Recovery) Upstate at the AnMed Medical Center.
· $183,720 to FAVOR for Community Recovery services. This funding would provide for one full time Community Engagement Specialist who would be responsible for Community Outreach and Education. In addition, the funds will provide for two part-time Recovery Coaches/Peer Support Specialists and two part-time Family Recovery Coaches who will facilitate family support groups, educate families in need, deliver one-on-one family coaching services, coordinate interventions for families in crisis and distribute Harm Reduction materials.
· $350,342 to Love Well for a Residential Center Program. The program is a duration of four months for each woman admitted with referral from Anderson County Drug Court, Public Defender’s Office, Detention Center, and the Solicitor’s Office.
Funding for the projects will come from the $5.5 million in opioid settlement money from a variety of pharmacies including Walgreens. The funds will be received slowly between now and 2038. In 2021, Anderson County also received just over $190,000 as part of the settlement money given to South Carolina. The funds are being used for helping stem addiction as well as providing funding for the drug court in the county.
To date council has funded four projects from the funding, PlaySafe’s education program to address opioid addiction among high school athletes, the County Coroner’s
D.E.A.D. (Drugs End All Dreams) education program in the public schools, and scholarships for Shalom House Ministries and The Bridge ministry.
At the 6 p.m. recognitions and resolutions meeting, council will honor New Foundations Home for Children for their 50 years of service, proclaim May 19-25 as Public Works Week and note the importance of National Tennis Month to the county.