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COLUMBUS -- Three local agencies have received funds to help communities connect survivors of opioid addiction to treatment and recovery.
The Columbiana County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board will receive $126,198, the East Palestine Police Department $24,315and the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office $144,942.91.
The office of Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants for the current fiscal year to help communities.
"Overdose survivors need urgent, hands-on support to break the cycle of addiction," Wilson said. "These grants empower local law enforcement and healthcare partners to meet people where they are in their most vulnerable moments and guide them toward lasting recovery."
The funding, awarded to 38 law enforcement agencies and local governments through the Drug Abuse Response Team (DART) grant program, will help communities establish or expand specialized outreach teams across the state. The money funds DART activities for the year ending June 30, 2027.
The response teams bring together local law enforcement and behavioral health providers to offer 24-hour assistance to overdose survivors and their families. Services can include connections to immediate treatment, recovery support and other resources designed to reduce the risk of future overdoses.
The Attorney General's Office administers the DART program, which began in 2017. For fiscal year 2027, grants range from $20,280 to $149,037. The office supplemented $1.5 million in General Assembly funding with $1 million in settlement funds to bolster this year's funding pool.