Information Charlottesville

Localities all across Virginia have been working together on plans to use funding that comes from a major settlement from pharmacies related to the over-prescription of opioid painkillers. Last week, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors agreed to proceed with a contract with the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority on a future project.

“This is the work of many months of creating a cooperative agreement with Region 10, Nelson County, Louisa County, and we’re hoping the City of Charlottesville to join forces to apply for competitive funding,” said Kaki Dimock, Albemarle County’s director of social services. 

Dimock said there are multiple settlements and the authority will funnel the proceeds to uses such as hiring additional counselors to assist people in need. 

“This particular proposal that we’re seeking your support for is to partner with Region 10 and these other localities to expand community outreach efforts so that there are opportunities to talk to someone who is connected to a behavioral health system before there’s a significant crisis,” Dimock said. 

Dimock said additional funding will also pay for Region 10 to expand their crisis receiving center. 

Albemarle is already receiving a direct allocation of funds from the authority to pay for a mental health response team called the Human Services Alternatives Response Team (HARTS). Learn more about that in a March 15, 2023 NBC29 story by Isabel Cleary. 

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