Maricopa county invests $2M to bolster local opioid treatment programs

PHOENIX — Maricopa County will invest $12 million in local organizations that provide opioid treatment programs, officials said.

The money will help 12 local organizations improve harm reduction programs — and add new programs as necessary, officials said. Additionally, the funds will also help people in need who are transferring between different services.

“Opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 people in Maricopa County have gone up significantly since 2012,” Maricopa County announced on Thursday.

The city cited the chilling stats. In 2012, 5.2 people in Maricopa County died from opioid overdoses for every 100K people. That number shot up to 28.8 in 2021, the city said.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman of District 4 said the addiction epidemic impacts more and more families every day.

“With this investment, we will support those agencies working on the front lines, helping residents find the resources they need while also supporting agencies working to prevent our youth from ever starting down the road of addiction,” he said in a statement.

Which organizations are getting money for their opioid treatment programs?

Of the 12 groups, Neighborhood Ministries got the largest chunk of cash out of the 12 organizations. The $300,000 in funding will expand school- and community-based substance use prevention and awareness programs in the inner-city Phoenix area, Maricopa County said.

The programs, which will be in both English and Spanish, will help parents, teens and adolescents alike. Families can also access active parenting classes to build resiliency, learn how to reduce harm and “increase preventative factors.”

Scottsdale-based notMYkid got the second-largest payout at $250,000. The money will expand its care services that prevent substance use disorder and help adolescents and families recover from addiction. These support services and programs are available in Maricopa County’s central, northwest and southwest areas, the announcement said.

Maricopa County also gave money to the Banner Health Foundation, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, Chicanos por la Causa, Community Bridges and Community Medical Services.

Live and Learn Arizona, Rise Up! Glendale, Shot in the Dark, Sky’s the Limit! Foundation and Terros Health will also receive funding to bolster their opioid treatment programs.

Where did the money come from?

Funding for these contract awards comes from the national Janssen opioid settlements and the Mallinckrodt bankruptcy case, Maricopa County said.

These two settlements will be paid in full in 2038, Maricopa County said. That full payout will amount to $67.7. The county has only received $12.5 million of that share so far, though.

More information can be found on the county’s opioid settlement planning page.