Efforts to fight opioid abuse in Starke County have gotten a major boost. Porter-Starke Services says it’s gotten a $200,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to put together a comprehensive plan to address opiate misuse.
That will involve setting up a Starke County Opioid Consortium, made up of representatives from the fields of education, government, law enforcement, health care, and substance abuse treatment. It’s scheduled to hold its first meeting on October 9 to review goals, activities, and timelines. Public forums will also be held, as part of the process.
Porter-Starke President and CEO Matthew Burden says the grant is an important step in figuring out how best to help those in need access treatment and other resources. The organization also points out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified Starke County as one of 220 in the nation considered to be at a high risk of HIV and Hepatitis C increases due to injection drug use.
