ASAP awarded $2 million in federal grants

By Andy East for The Republic

The Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress has been awarded two federal grants that officials expect will have a significant impact on efforts in the community to combat substance abuse over the next few years.

The two grants, both awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will each provide up to about $2 million in funding over five years. Both grants officially start on Saturday, the first day of the new federal fiscal year.

One of the grants includes about $400,000 per year for up to five years to enhance operations at the Bartholomew County Adult Drug Recovery Court and Family Recovery Court, officials said.

That includes funding to expand capacity of the two problem-solving courts and provide additional support for people who are going through those courts, including peer recovery coaching, help getting insurance, job training, transportation, childcare and rent and utility deposits.

The grant also seeks to help the courts increase the number of negative random drug screens and the number of people who complete substance use treatment or mental health treatment programs.

The courts will decide how the money is spent, though ASAP is acting as the fiscal agent of the grant, officials said. Launched in 2017, ASAP is a community-wide response to address substance use disorder, including the opioid crisis, in Bartholomew County.

“(The grant) is really to provide additional support to make people more successful that are going through those courts,” said ASAP Executive Director Sherri Jewett. “…By providing those additional financial supports, our hope is that their success rates continues to increase as it has been.”

The other grant, called a Partnerships for Success Grant, would provide up to $2 million over five years to support activities by ASAP that aim to prevent substance misuse and promote mental health in Bartholomew, Jackson and Jennings Counties, Jewett said.

Some of those activities include social media posts and direct community education, among others, Jewett said.

The purpose of the grant program is to help reduce the onset and progression of substance misuse and its related problems by supporting the development and delivery of prevention and mental health services, according to the program’s website.

“We want to provide education and really just want people to think and understand the impact of their mental wellness and how that potentially can positively influence their overall decision-making,” Jewett said.