At its meeting of December 15th, the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund (SCORF) Board approved four opioid remediation projects submitted by Anderson County. The approved projects have a combined budget of $418,824 and are as follows:
- Detention Center Treatment Program: This initiative is designed to provide detoxification assistance, addiction treatment, appropriate counseling, and post-release aftercare and referrals to persons in the Anderson County Detention Center. Opioid program funds will be used to expand existing medication-assisted treatment and health/wellness programs offered to inmates suffering from addiction, and to support contractual services that will provide licensed Mental Health/Behavioral Service professionals on a full-time basis at the Detention Center. APPROVED BUDGET: $170,824
- Detention Center Post-Release Treatment Scholarships: Upon release from the Detention Center, inmates are referred to an appropriate recovery program which may include a residential treatment component. For those lacking the ability to pay for residential treatment programs, SCORF funding will provide ten scholarships at the Bridge Recovery Center (for males) and ten at Shalom House (for females). APPROVED BUDGET: $98,000
- Anderson County Coroner’s Office—Drug Education Initiative: the Anderson County Office of the Coroner, the Anderson County Emergency Medical Services, and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office propose establishment of a communitywide education and awareness program. The program will establish clear and concise objectives to provide an avenue of education and public awareness that will reach all community civic organizations, churches, elementary schools, and high schools in Anderson County throughout the 2023-2024 calendar year.
Programming will involve instruction on the following topics: dangers of various drugs; signs of usage; symptoms of intoxication; Narcan administration; CPR; defibrillator access and usage; and locally available options for counseling and treatment. Program design and delivery will be informed by existing evidence-based drug education programs. APPROVED BUDGET: $45,000 - PlaySafe AOD/OAA Student Connect Initiative: To supplement drug abuse messaging strategies in the local school system, Anderson County will partner with PlaySafe, a locally based non-profit organization. SCORF funding will allow PlaySafe to implement a comprehensive program aimed at educating students on the risks associated with substance use as well as monitoring their mental and physical health before, during, and after an injury. The programming is comprehensive in scope, focusing on nurturing healthy relationships, advising as to dangers associated with use/misuse of opioids and other drugs, and promoting mental health wellness. Programming will include session plans and other materials provided by the US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency’s Operation Prevention initiative. APPROVED BUDGET: $105,000
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The South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board was created by the General Assembly to administer and disburse the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund in accordance with the terms of opioid litigation settlement agreements. Money from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund is distributed by the SCORF Board to help address and remediate the impact of the opioid epidemic in South Carolina.
As a participant in opioid-related legal settlements, Anderson County is considered a Guaranteed Political Subdivision and is eligible to access its settlement funding allocation for use in opioid-abatement projects. All funding requests must be reviewed by the SCORF Board and found to meet the criteria of an approved abatement strategy as described in the settlement agreement.
For more information: https://scorf.sc.gov/
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