OUR MISSION
Respond
to the loss of life due to opioids in our community.
Recover
by expanding our capacity for treatment in Summit County.
Rebuild
a new landscape for our community where there is no wrong door for someone to walk through to rewrite their story.
$104 MILLION IN COMMUNITY IMPACT
In 2017, Summit County was joined by 21 communities and Summit County Public Health in filing a lawsuit holding opioid makers, distributors, and pharmacies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. Summit County was awarded $104 million in the settlement which is earmarked for education, treatment, harm reduction, system coordination and prevention. In addition, Summit County was awarded pharmaceutical products from multiple manufacturers that included lifesaving emergency medications to be used in local hospitals.
An abatement plan, approved by the judge presiding over the case included several very specific directives that include physician training, services for pregnant women, reducing stigma and researching alternative methods for pain management. These non-discretionary awards were made outside of the Opiate Abatement Advisory Council.
Announcements
If you would like to speak directly to the Opiate Abatement Advisory Council regarding opportunities, barriers or needs you see in your community, please join us for our next Community Engagement meeting. This meeting is virtual and scheduled for May 10, 2023 at 10am.
At this time there are no open opportunities for funding.
Please check back regularly, or use the Feedback box at the bottom of the page to contact the Summit County Public Health Project Management team.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS
Non-Discretionary Funding
Henry Schein Company
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Education and Stigma
Funding placed directly under the management of Akron Community Foundation in the amount of $1 million. Funds are used to support MAT training, increase MAT Provider capacity, research alternative pain techniques and reduce stigma.
Akron Children’s Hospital: $100,216 for the Peer Recovery for Addicted Mothers program, which will provide peer-based recovery services to new mothers with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit due to neonatal abstinence syndrome.
Cleveland Clinic Health System: $150,000 to expand access to addiction and recovery treatment and to increase the number of staff members who are MAT certified.
Friends of 91.3: $50,000 to support addiction relapse prevention efforts and alleviate mental health or emotional challenges that accompany addiction through Rock and Recovery™ Everyone Needs a Lil’ RNR.
Northeast Ohio Medical University Foundation: $115,000 to offer its proprietary clinical MAT training to students and physicians throughout the region to meet MAT training requirements and to eliminate barriers to implementation.
Portage Path Behavior Health: $150,000 to increase capacity, effectiveness and objective measurement of dual diagnosis/addiction recovery.
Johnson & Johnson: Centering Pregnancy
A program for pregnant women with Opioid Use Disorder.
Funding in the amount of $2 million was awarded to Summa ($1 million) and Cleveland Clinic Akron General ($1 million). An additional $500,000 was awarded to Summa to include programming for pregnant women in the jail and Health Equity Center.
Medication Settlement
Summit County was awarded medication from the formularies of several companies. These organizations include Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Endo Pharmaceuticals and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.
Discretionary Funding
Care Coordination from Summit County Jail
$1,478,415 for Summit Psychological Associates to provide coordinated care and case management for clients leaving Summit County Jail as they were recognized as a best practical source.
Trauma Informed Care Mapping Project
$272,527 for a grant agreement with the University of Akron to create a single multi-year strategic plan of systemic, top-down organizational changes within county agencies to implement trauma informed care for a one-year period. This funding is in collaboration with the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board and the total cost will be shared equally.
Data Platform
$5,325,000 for a professional service contract with Unite USA, Inc. (“Unite Us”) for a data sharing platform for a comprehensive solution for care coordination for individuals with substance use disorder, subject to ratification by the Information Technology Board, for a five-year term .
MAT initiation in Emergency Departments
$1 million awarded to Summa for expansion of the existing First Step programming to more ED locations. $1 million awarded to Cleveland Clinic Akron General to establish a MAT program.
Opioid Healing Fund
Funding to support community recovery, grassroots and peer support programs
$500,000 was initially approved and an additional $250,000 was added in January 2022. Monies are managed by the Akron Community Foundation Opioid Healing Fund to support a variety of organizations.
Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry: $10,000 for Lydia’s Home Residential Recovery and Community Outreach.
Community Oriented Recovery: $10,000 for peer support of Summit County residents.
Fathers and Sons of Northeast Ohio: $25,000 to support Summit County fathers in recovery.
Joanna House II: $10,000 for peer support services and prevention education.
Legacy III: $10,000 to support Brubaker and Humble Beginnings (permanent housing with support services).
OhioCan Change Addition Now: $10,000 to support SummitCan blessing bags.
Rachel’s Angels: $10,000 to support Rachel’s Angels Healing Voice II.
Relink.org: $20,000 for Pulling it All Together: Using Technology to connect Summit County providers and the community.
Restore Addiction Recovery: $25,000 for community outreach programming.
South Street Ministries: $15,000 to support reentry and recovery support meetings and staff training in overdose response.
3R Foundation: $20,500 for the Reentry, Reconnect, Restoration (3R) project, which educates both youth and adults about the dangers of opioid use.
Akron Say No To Dope: $15,000 to increase capacity for the New Beginnings Thrift Store on Kenmore Boulevard.
AxessPointe Community Health Centers: $25,000 to increase awareness about the issue of substance use disorders in older adults.
Broken Chains Jail & Prison Ministry: $25,000 to provide recovery services and workforce development programs.
CASA Board Volunteer Association: $23,985 to provide advocacy support to children exposed to substance abuse.
Freedom House for Women: $25,000 for the Courage to Change program, which provides peer support services to women with Opiate Use Disorder.
Hope United: $20,000 to provide grief support groups for Summit County residents who have lost a loved one to addiction.
Keys to Serenity: $25,000 for the Keys to the Heart Family Program, which is a 12-month program that provides events and educational and assistance programs to families and children affected by substance abuse in their home.
Legacy III: $25,000 to assist women with a history of drug addiction in identifying safe and affordable housing.
MODE – Miracles Occur, Days Enriched: $20,000 to support outpatient and partial hospitalization addiction counseling.
Rachel’s Angels: $15,000 to develop visual media and online content for peer-based prevention presentations at local schools.
Safe Harbor Norton: $25,000 to provide Level II recovery housing for men in Summit County.
Sarah’s House Inc.: $7,000 for a prevention program geared toward individuals over the age of 60.
South Street Ministries: $25,000 to support the organization’s recovery and reentry programs and events.
The Packard Institute: $20,000 to provide ongoing recovery support and professional development to recovery coaches and other addiction professionals.
Truth & Honor: $25,000 to provide recovery support services and training opportunities to veteran referrals from the Summit County Valor Court program.
3R Foundation: $15,000 for the Reentry, Reconnect, Restoration (3R) project, which educates both youth and adults about the dangers of opioid use.
ARC Recovery Services: $25,000 for addiction recovery treatment services.
Community Oriented Recovery: $25,000 for peer recovery support services for Summit County residents.
Compass North Church: $12,500 to support a Walk in Their Shoes and Celebrate Recovery program.
Friends of 91.3 (The Summit): $25,000 to support Rock+Recovery™ Radio.
Hope United: $15,000 to support education & recovery events to individuals in recovery and their families.
H.M. Life Opportunity Services: $15,000 to support homeless mothers recovering from opiate addiction.
Keys to Serenity: $20,000 for the Keys to the Heart Family Program, a 12-month program that provides events, as well as educational and assistance programs, to families and children affected by substance abuse in their home.
Let’s Get Healthy Cleveland: $10,000 for opioid community awareness, including education and outreach programs.
MODE – Miracles Occur, Days Enriched: $20,000 to support outpatient and partial hospitalization programming, including addiction counseling and peer support services.
OhioCAN – Change Addiction Now: $12,500 for the “OhioCAN Summit: Come, Learn and Remember,” which will include national speakers, games and activities for children, and education, support and empowerment for adults
Ohio Domestic Violence Network: $10,000 to improve services to domestic violence survivors with substance use issues and mental health needs.
The Packard Institute: $20,000 for peer-recovery for families impacted by addiction.
Safe Harbor Norton: $20,000 for continuing education, vocational job training and housing scholarships for residents in treatment.
Sarah’s House Inc.: $15,000 for My Family-My People, a project focused on Akron’s Ward 4 that provides prevention meetings for 10- to 17-year-olds
Consultation
$180,000 to Monument Analytics for specialized consultation on the creation and development of a data platform as they were determined as a best practical source for this project coordination.
Project Management:
$160,000 initially awarded to SCPH for project management for one year. Renewed in May 2021 to extend to April 2023 and include related costs for $463,852.24.
Summit Safe Harm Reduction
$180,000 for the SCPH syringe exchange program.
Who is involved
Our Stakeholders
Ilene
Shapiro
County of Summit,
County Executive
Dan
Horrigan
City of Akron,
Mayor
Donna
Skoda
Summit County
Public Health,
Health Commissioner
Bill
Judge
Barberton, Mayor,
representing the Mayor’s
Association
George
Beckham
Trustee, Coventry Township,
representing Township
Trustees
Our Active Members
Aimee Wade, ADM Board – Executive Director
Brighid Hillmuth, Community Representative
Dan Carter, Community Representative
Carla Chapman, Director, Community Relations and Chief Diversity Officer – Akron Public Schools
Cassandra Holtzmann, Summit County Children’s Services – Executive Director
Chief Jack Davis, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department
Christopher Stahr, Community Representative, Community Development Director – Valor Court SCCCP
Dr. James Orlando, Summit Psychological Associate – COO
Dr. Joseph Varley, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, Summa
Dr. Michel Farivar, Cleveland Clinic Akron General – Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Samer Narouze, Western Reserve Hospital – Chair of the Center for Pain Management
Dr. Stacey Gardner-Buckshaw, Director of Community Engagement at NEOMED
Lori Pesci, Summit County Public Safety Director
Pastor David Parker, Zion Apostolic Faith Church
Robert Cooper, Community Representative
Past Members
Charles Brown, City of Akron – Deputy Mayor of Public Safety
Chief Vince Morber, Barberton Police Department
Chuck Sincere, Springfield Schools Superintendent
Dr. Rajesh Tampi, Chair of the Department of Psychiatric and Behavioral Science, CCAG
Dr. Sarah Friebert, Akron Children’s Hospital – Pediatric Palliative Care
Julie Barnes, Summit County Children’s Services – Executive Director
Katie O’Toole, Community Representative
Our Project Management Team
Megan Scott
Office – 330-926-5686
Megan Scott, CDCA, PRS is a state licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant and Peer Recovery Supporter currently working as a Public Health Coordinator at Summit County Public Health. Megan has previously worked as a Case Manager and Substance Use Counselor in the Community Corrections field and has deep experience in Project Management.
David McCartney
Office – 330-926-5613
David McCartney, MPH, is currently working as a Public Health Coordinator for Quality of Life projects at Summit County Public Health. David has previously worked in harm reduction services and HIV prevention.
THE OPIATE ABATEMENT PROCESS
The OAAC meets monthly. Our members participate in one of two designated workgroups.
Funding Evaluation.
Our Funding Evaluation workgroup meets with those organizations that received funding directly from the OAAC. Our goal is to assure the community that the monies are being allocated with integrity and to confirm that the project proposals are being met and continue to be in alignment with OAAC priorities.
Community Engagement.
Our Community Engagement workgroup meets with agencies who have proposals, plans or concepts they feel would benefit from funding. These meetings are not a forum for these groups to request funding, but rather to give the community a voice in the OAAC’s future decisions. You can register to attend these meetings by clicking here.