Gov. Kim Reynolds announced yesterday (Thursday) a $17.5 million investment in opioid prevention and recovery programs for Iowans affected by the opioid epidemic. The governor’s plan will allocate funding for several initiatives she proposed this legislative session, including $500,000 to an Opioid Use Prevention Campaign by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to raise awareness of opioid dangers, $1 million to training and technical assistance to physicians prescribing opioids to surgery patients, $10 million for grants administered by HHS and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) for infrastructure and capacity building for treatment and recovery providers, $3 million to complete the Youth Support Services (YSS) Ember Recovery Campus in Cambridge, and $3 million for a grant program by HHS and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) to build a network of sober living environments. Funds are provided through the American Rescue Plan of 2021. Reynolds says, “I’m disappointed that a bill to spend a portion of Iowa’s opioid settlement money never reached my desk this session. As a result, $47.5 million remain unused in the fund. Since legislation was not passed, I’m leveraging federal funds to make this investment in the health and well-being of Iowans.”
