Ingham County has approved a new spending plan for its share of a national opioid settlement.
The county will ultimately receive $14 million for treatment, support, and harm reduction services, with the first $2 million to be distributed over the next two years.
Among the recipients of the funding is the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing. As part of the new spending plan, the organization will receive $172,000 to expand their therapy program for women struggling with opioid use and trauma, including hiring a new counselor.
The funding will significantly increase the number of women they can serve, from a max of about 200 to up to 300 clients, according to the center’s executive director, Rebecca Kasen.
“ We've always taken clients with no insurance,” said Kasen,” but that's always unfortunately been a limited number because its entirely grant funded,” she said.
Kasen said that the range of services the center offers can be particularly effective in helping clients stay sober.
“ I keep telling a story of one of our clients who has failed out of rehab,” Kasen said. “She goes to rehab, they detox her, and then they want her to talk about her significant trauma. And she has no other coping skills. She has no way to address that trauma without using drugs.”
Kasen hopes that the success of their expanded program can help attract new donors and funding in the future
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.