The Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) Board of Directors recently approved contract allocations totaling $80,476 for four projects that focus on prevention, treatment, and awareness of the opioid crisis in Berks County. All projects will be paid for through the Berks County Opioid Settlement Funds.
The Berks Opioid Settlement Funds are in place to address the detrimental effects of the opioid/overdose crisis in Berks County and to help protect the community from such negative effects in the future. These funds will be used to provide services related to opioid use disorders (OUD) and any co-occurring substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) conditions to all communities and residents in Berks County with respect, dignity, and equity while supporting culturally appropriate services and programs.
Below are the specific projects funded through Berks Opioid Settlement Funds:
- Treatment Court House Renovations – Monies allocated to the Reading-Berks YMCA to help fund renovations to the recovery house for individuals involved with the Berks County Drug Treatment and DUI court programs.
- Adolescent Mental Health Conference – Provide funds for up to 100 youth to attend a one-day conference provided by the Amos Lemon Burkart Foundation. This conference is intended for youth and local youth-serving systems focusing on opioid and other substance use, overdose, as well as resiliency, trauma, and mindfulness.
- Spanish Speaking Community Awareness – Engage Palo Magazine to publish Spanish language articles contributed by SOS Berks, the county’s opioid/overdose coalition.
- Response Magazine – Support for the SOS Berks twice yearly publication of the Response Magazine. This print and electronic periodical focuses on overdose, opioid use disorders, and other substance use-related topics.
For a more complete list of projects and more detailed information on funds, visit the cocaberks.org Opioid Settlement Funds page.
Berks County receives a specified amount of funds annually from Pennsylvania’s allotment of the National Opioid Settlement. The Berks County Commissioners authorized COCA to manage and distribute the funds locally in accordance with the National Opioid Settlement. COCA has served as the Single County Authority for substance use prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services for Berks County since 1972. More information regarding the Opioid Settlement can be found at www.cocaberks.org.
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