Luzerne County opioid commission advances funding request

Luzerne County’s Commission on Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement advanced one proposed earmark to County Council Wednesday but rejected another.

The remaining two funding requests were tabled.

This panel recommends allocations from the county’s share of the state settlement against opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors. County Council has the final say on awards, and allocations must comply with settlement fund eligibility protocols.

The $146,952 request advanced Wednesday is for XT Enterprises, doing business as RecoverU, to fund 2,826 nights of licensed recovery housing for county residents with opioid use disorder over a year, at a rate of $52 per resident each night.

Adam Lorts, the facility’s executive director, told the commission Wednesday the county funding would provide reimbursement for occupied beds — not a lump sum in advance.

RecoverU operates 10 licensed beds at 226-228 Barney St. in Wilkes-Barre and plans to expand to a second property to increase its capacity to 18 beds because it has a waiting list, he said.

The Barney Street house serves those in long-term recovery. All current residents have at least a year of sobriety, and there have been no recorded police incidents there, he said.

Lorts’ application noted his program works with the county’s drug treatment court and provides an option that costs taxpayers less than incarceration.

The commission-rejected request was from Bucks County-based Blue Shirt Media, which sought $250,000 to create a recovery access line providing 24-7 connection to county treatment and recovery support services.

Two commission members — county Human Services Division Head Megan Stone and county Drug and Alcohol Administrator Michael Gagliardi — said the county and other mental health and substance use disorder hotlines provide immediate assistance to those in need.

“I do think this would be a duplication of things we already have,” Gagliardi said.

Tabled requests

The Scranton-based Afree Foundation is requesting $60,000 for a pre-apprenticeship and workforce training program for youth and young adults impacted by substance use who are involved in the criminal justice system.

The project provides paid, hands-on trade education, OSHA-10 safety certifications, and “trauma-informed mentorship to guide at-risk youth into stable, living-wage employment,” its submission said.

Commission members expressed strong support for the program but said meetings are needed with Luzerne County officials, including the courts, to formally implement a program in this county.

Rashida Lovely, an Afree representative, said the program goes beyond education by offering paid work and “intense mentorship” that have helped young adults impacted by the opioid epidemic.

Commission member Romilda Crocamo, the county manager, said the Lackawanna County-based program is worthwhile, but she wants to ensure all details are addressed to implement it in Luzerne County.

“Luzerne County money should stay in Luzerne County,” Crocamo said.

Commission members told Lovely they will work with her foundation on implementation plans.

The remaining request for $500 from Wyoming Seminary for a substance use prevention program was tabled because no school representative was available Wednesday to answer questions.

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