Funds awarded to support opioid prevention, community intervention and support

Funding was approved this week to support projects that will help abate the impact of opioids on Nevadans. With a focus on efforts to support children, 30 projects were awarded funds to further the goals of the Fund for a Resilient Nevada (FRN) program.

“This funding will be used to lift projects across the state that support prevention, intervention and treatment for people impacted by substance use,” said FRN Program Manager Dawn Yohey. “Many of the projects will directly support Nevada youth as we work to give kids a strong, healthy start.”

In June, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for agencies developing projects that fit within FRN’s seven goals. The agencies receiving funds were announced at the August meeting of the Nevada Legislative Interim Finance Committee (IFC), and at Thursday’s IFC meeting additional funding was approved for those agencies to ensure all projects could be implemented successfully.

Twenty-two of the projects focus on efforts related to children and families, including youth-focused programs that enhance community mental health and wellness, mobile outreach and prevention services that align with Gov. Joe Lombardo’s health and wellness policy priorities. Other funding will support programs to reduce gestational exposure to substances and provide supports for children affected by prenatal substance use.

Earlier this year, DHHS hosted a gathering for partners and providers, with discussion centered around the 2024 report, Health Outcomes of Infants with Gestational Exposure to Substances in Nevada, drafted by the DHHS Office of Analytics. As outlined in the report, in the three-year period from 2018 through 2020, more than 12% of infants born in the state were identified as being exposed to substances.

Other funded projects support Nevada’s health care workforce and build capacity through educational opportunities. A list of the projects as they align with the seven goals of the Nevada Opioid Needs Assessment and Statewide Plan is below.

Target 1: Build capacity

• Carson Tahoe Health: Youth and Adolescent Opioid Prevention Mobile Outreach Program (Carson City/Quad Counties)
• Changing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry (Changing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry)
• Frontier Community Coalition: Nevada Rural Youth Mental Health and Wellness Project (Humboldt, Lander, Mineral, Pershing)
• High Sierra: Project RISE: Resilience and Intervention for Substance Education (Statewide)
• Join Together Northern Nevada (JTNN): The Thriving Families Workforce Development Initiative (Northern Nevada)
• Storey County: Prevention of Drug Activities (Storey County)
• UNLV Department of Psychology Bachelor’s Program: Development of a B.A. Children's Mental Health degree program at UNLV (Statewide)
• UNLV Department of Psychology PsyD Program: Development of a Psy.D. degree program at UNLV (Statewide)
• UNR/Renown Northern Nevada Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program (Northern Nevada)

Target 2: Prevent the misuse of opioids

• Carson City: Opioid Prevention Efforts: Education, Disposal, Distribution of Naloxone and Fentanyl Strips, and Dissemination of Information (Carson City)
• Foster Kinship: Kinship Navigator Program Expansion for OUD Impacted Families (Clark County)
• Inspiring Children Foundation: Peer Engagement, Prevention and Direct Service Grant for youth impacted by Opioid Use/Misuse (Clark County)
• NyE Communities Coalition: Opioid Misuse Prevention Project (OMP Project) (Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda)
• PACT Coalition: Integrating Certified Prevention Specialists in Nevada Schools (Statewide)
• Washoe County: WCHSA Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team (START) (Washoe County)

Target 3: Reduce harm related to opioid use

• China Spring Youth Camp: China Spring Youth Camp Opioid Grant (Statewide)
• FirstMed Health & Wellness: FirstMed Educate (Clark County)
• Foundation for Recovery: Community Recovery Clinic (Clark County)
• Renown Women’s Health Center: Ryland Project (Washoe County)

Target 4: Provide behavioral health treatment

• Ackerman Center: Evidence-Based Practice for High-Risk Nevada Youth (Las Vegas)
• Apple Grove Foster Care: Youth and Families Community Based Treatment Project (Las Vegas/Clark County)
• Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada: Club ReNew (Recovery and New Beginnings) (Southern Nevada)
• Carson City: Provide Behavioral Health Treatment: Carson City Juvenile Services Hire a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (Carson City)
• CrossRoads of Southern Nevada: Future Forward TAY Program (Southern Nevada Region)
• United Citizens Foundation: Miracle Minds Substance Use/Misuse Program for Youth and Adolescents (Las Vegas/Clark County)

Target 5: Implement recovery communities across Nevada

• College of Southern Nevada: The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) Building Workforce in Recovery Communities (Las Vegas)
• NyE Communities Coalition: Statewide Recovery: Communities Implementation Project (SR:CIP) (Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda)

Target 6: Provide opioid prevention and treatment consistently across the criminal justice and public safety systems

• The Life Change Center: On-Track Program (Northern Nevada)

• UNLV Southern Nevada Water Authority: Statewide Wastewater Monitoring of Opioids, Sedatives, and Stimulants at NSHE Institutions and High Schools (Las Vegas/Clark County)

About the Fund for a Resilient Nevada

The Fund for a Resilient Nevada is administered by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and is specific to the State's portion of opioid litigation recoveries. As the settlements are outlined, the State of Nevada will receive yearly distributions for the next 18-20 years. FRN manages 43% of Nevada’s opioid litigation recoveries. Local governments that are part of the One Nevada Agreement receive funding directly. Monies received by FRN as a result of litigation related to the manufacture, distribution, sale or marketing of opioids are included in the fund to respond to the identified priorities to mitigate the impact of opioid misuse on Nevadans. These funds can supplement current efforts or be used for new programs and initiatives.