KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Knox County was one of several counties across Tennessee receiving millions of dollars from settlements related to the ongoing Opioid Epidemic. The county received around $2.37 million to help address issues related to opioids, such as housing instability and addiction.
The county proposed splitting the money between 21 initiatives, local agencies and nonprofits, such as the Metro Drug Coalition, Positively Living and the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability.
A list of the organizations that could get money is available below.
- Metro Drug Coalition: $20,000
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee: $66,667
- East Tennessee Children's Hospital Association, Inc.: $125,000
- Covenant Health: $183,333
- Childhelp, Inc.: $166,667
- Legal Aid of East Tennessee: $100,000
- Renew Clinic: $108,333
- Free Medical Clinic of America: $49,000
- BIP Knoxville dba Healing the Home: $48,538
- Shora Foundation: $8,333
- Helen Ross McNabb Center: $300,000
- A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee: $8,840
- Harmony Family Center, Inc.: $20,300
- Positively Living: $159,821
- Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley: $166, 667
- Helen Ross McNabb Center, Inc.: $366,667
- Metro Drug Coalition: $46,667
- New Direction Health Care Solutions, Inc.: $10,000
- Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee - workforce development: $117,113
- Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability: $250,000
- Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee - grandparents as parents: $49,553
While the county proposed 21 disbursements, 18 organizations were identified to get the money. For example, while the McNabb Center would get a total of $666,667, that money would be split between different initiatives of the organization.
Around $300,000 of that money would be used to provide support services for people struggling with substance misuse. The rest would be used for residential services for people struggling with substance misuse.
Other uses include implementing prevention strategies in hospital emergency departments through the A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee. The money could also be used to provide trauma-informed therapy services to young people, as well as parenting classes to other people, through the Shora Foundation.