Tippecanoe County Commissioners approve 9 contracts to disperse opioid settlement funding

LAFAYETTE, Ind.— The Tippecanoe County Commissioners approved contracts on Monday for nine area nonprofit organizations to receive dispersed funds from the county's portion of the opioid settlement totaling $550,000.

The Tippecanoe Regional Opioid Settlement Community Committee presented commissioners with contracts for Lafayette Transitional Housing, Mental Health America, Meridian Health Services, NAMI West Central Indiana, Paul's Plan Ministries, Recovery Café Lafayette, United Way of Greater Lafayette, Willowstone Family Services and the West Lafayette Police Department.

Amanda Ferguson, grant financial supervisor and executive assistant for the Tippecanoe County Health Department, said each nonprofit went through a grant process, as well as in-person interviews, in order to be selected as a funding recipient.

Jennifer Layton, president and CEO of Lafayette Transitional Housing, told county commissioners the $50,000 her organization will receive will assist in housing people experiencing homelessness who are also suffering from substance abuse disorders and mental health issues.

"Unfortunately, that is many of the guests we serve," Layton explained. "Housing can end homelessness, so we're really hoping by using these landlord mitigation funds in order to secure additional housing resources we will be able to make an even bigger impact on ending homelessness in our community."

Stephen Horrocks, development director for Mental Health America, said his organization will receive $35,000 from the settlement funds. Those funds will be put towards the roll-out and continuation of the "Too Good For Drugs" curriculum, which has been implemented in area middle schools. The funds will help expand the program to other grade levels within Tippecanoe County.

Lisa Marie Lucy, director of clinical services for Willowstone Family Services, said their funds from the settlement will be put towards their "Parent Café," parent case management and the youth drug prevention program "Get Smart Youth."

Lindsey Kreps, executive director of the Recover Café, told commissioners that the grant of nearly $163,000 will allow the café to increase the number of days it is open during the week, as well as expanding its existing operating hours.

"You know, these funds are coming at such an incredible time," she said. "Over the past five years since we've opened, we've seen a 125% increase in the people that we are providing services to, and it has become extremely apparent that we need to have more staff and more open hours."

Amy Brinkley, executive director for Paul's Plan Ministries, said the new peer-run and faith-based nonprofit will utilize its $62,000 portion of settlement funds to provide housing, food and clothing support for people coming back into the community after leaving Tippecanoe County Corrections.

Ferguson said the West Lafayette police will receive $26,000 from the settlement, which will allow the department's social services employee to implement software that will make it easier to connect to community resources.

United Way of Greater Lafayette will receive $9,000 for its Tippecanoe Resilience and Recovery Network to be put towards an annual youth summit, Ferguson said.

NAMI West Central Indiana will receive $61,000, Ferguson said, to put towards its living-room expansion, which is a designated space created to assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis in real time.

Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached by email at jellison@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ellison_writes.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Commissioners approve to disperse opioid funds for area non profits