South-central Kansas group gets federal funding to combat opioid epidemic

A south-central Kansas organization will receive up to $750,000 to help combat the opioid epidemic.

On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Kansas announced the Reno County Health Department would be one of 21 organizations to receive a chunk of the $14.8 million in funding meant to help fill gaps for prevention, treatment and recovery of people in the criminal justice system. The health department was the only organization in Kansas to receive funding. The goal of the program, called the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic Initiative, is to reduce opioid-related deaths in high-risk, rural communities. The recipients will also share patterns and information on opioid use.

Reno County hit an all-time high for opioid deaths in 2018, The Hutchinson News reported. Figures for 2019 were not immediately available.

“While no corner of the country has gone untouched by the opioid epidemic, rural America has been hit particularly hard,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said in a news release. “A challenge of this magnitude requires a response in kind, one that marshals resources, data and innovative approaches in the service of the most effective local responses. The Rural Responses Initiative enables these 21 rural communities to take control of their individual battles against opioid use disorder.”

The initiative is funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Justice Institute.