Inmates with opioid or substance use disorders will be screened while in the Madison County Jail and services will be provided by a qualified mental health professional.

Four Madison County organizations will receive more than $326,000 in grant funding from the Madison County Mental Health Board, according to Deborah Humphrey, executive director. The funds, which come from a $3.7 million opioid settlement provided to the community for use until 2038, will be used to mitigate the opioid epidemic and expand services to people who struggle with addiction.

“The opioid settlement services will offer help and hope,” Humphrey said. “Support in navigating and accessing professional treatment and recovery options is available through these funded initiatives.

“Recovery support specialists can be a lifeline; they have demonstrated success in their recovery journey, have walked the walk, and have personal knowledge of behavioral health challenges.”

The four agencies receiving funds are Amare ($44,022), Chestnut Health Systems ($80,000), BJC Healthcare/Alton Memorial Hospital ($75,329), and Madison County Sheriff/Centerstone of Illinois ($127,000), according to EdGlenToday.com. Jewell Psychological Services will receive $37,700 in funding to serve as the consulting program evaluator for these agencies and their use of the grant funds.

Data collected from the Illinois Department of Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery showed a small increase in the number of opioid deaths in Madison County in 2022. Humphrey said there is hope that deaths due to opioid use will decrease due to the additional recovery support services being offered.

Amare will place a recovery support specialist at Anderson Hospital. The hospital’s medical staff will connect individuals who need treatment for opioid use with specialists, according to Humphrey.

The Women’s Health and Childbirth Center at Alton Memorial Hospital will screen pregnant women and infants in their care and refer those who test positive for opioids to Chestnut Health Systems.

People with opioid or substance use disorders can contact Chestnut Health Systems directly to request services. The other opioid-funded agencies can refer anyone who needs treatment to Chestnut Health Systems.

Inmates with opioid or substance use disorders will be screened while in the Madison County Jail and services will be provided by a qualified mental health professional.

The Madison County Mental Health Board received applications through an online reporting system developed specifically for opioid settlement funding, Humphrey said. After review by the MCMHB staff and the finance committee, the board of directors approved recommendations and funding decisions.

The opioid settlement sets core abatement strategies to expand existing opioid, substance use disorder, and co-occurring mental health services. Applicants were required to identify which service they needed, according to Humphrey. Three of the organizations will seek to expand recovery support services. Other services offered include identification, referral and linkage, and access to and coordination of services.

Two significant areas that will be expanded are medication-assisted treatment and recovery services, which include clinical treatment with a behavioral health care provider, social support, medication, peer support, self-help groups, and faith-based strategies. For some people, this might include employment and training assistance and seeking appropriate housing.

“Helping a loved one with an opioid or substance use addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder not only involves the individual suffering from the addiction but their spouse, family, and friends,” Humphrey said.

Education creates an understanding of how substance use influences biological changes in the brain and how environmental triggers, peer influences, and substance availability can influence substance use, according to Humphrey.