Henry County, Patrick County and the City of Martinsville are slated to receive renewed funding through the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority for programs ranging from recovery court services to kinship support and overdose response.
The authority’s Grants Committee approved the recommendations June 15 for the 2027 performance period.
Renewal awards recommended for local programs include:
•Henry-Martinsville Department of Social Services: $13,953.87 for a Henry County Kinship Navigator position.
•Patrick County: $20,184 for Patrick County Public Safety’s Justice Support and Recovery Court Services.
•Henry-Martinsville Department of Social Services: $4,017.35 for a Martinsville Kinship Navigator position.
•The Henry County Piedmont Community Services Lighthouse Program: $0 for a Cooperative Partnership Award, with Martinsville approved for $309,883 for the Overdose Spike Response and Harm Reduction Access program.
The recommendations are part of more than $35.2 million in opioid settlement investments supporting evidence-based prevention, treatment, recovery, harm reduction and criminal justice diversion programs across Virginia.
The grants committee recommended funding for 150 projects throughout the commonwealth, including:
•64 individual distribution projects.
•79 cooperative partnership projects.
•Seven Operation STOP! projects targeting communities disproportionately affected by fatal overdoses among Black residents.
Since its creation in 2021, the authority has awarded more than $150 million to localities and state agencies.
Funding comes from Virginia’s share of national opioid settlements with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and other companies. Payments began in 2022 and are expected to total more than $1.1 billion by 2041.
The General Assembly created the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority in 2021 to oversee distribution of 55 percent of the state’s settlement funds. Another 30 percent goes directly to cities and counties, while the remaining 15 percent is distributed to the commonwealth. State law and court orders require the money be used for opioid abatement and remediation efforts.
