Tippecanoe County will receive $1.1 million for overdose prevention and is accepting applications for grants

Drug overdoses were the leading cause of accidental deaths in Tippecanoe County in 2022, contributing to 41 percent of those incidents. The county is getting $1.1 million in opioid settlement money to reduce overdose risks. 

Opioid manufacturers and distributors agreed to pay states billions of dollars for their role in the opioid epidemic. Indiana will get more than half a billion dollars over the next 18 years. The $1.1 million comes from Tippecanoe County’s share of the opioid settlement funds as well as a state matching program. 

The county is now accepting applications for grants to local programs that can help prevent overdose deaths. 

“This first wave of the opioid settlement money, I feel very strongly should go towards people that are on the ground, taking care of people in recovery,” said Dr. Gregory Loomis, the county’s health officer. 

He said this could include allocating funds for recovery cafes and hiring more caseworkers and recovery coaches. 

“So, it might be something where you have a small organization that we haven't even identified yet that can make a huge impact with $2,500. And then we may have another group that has a ton of money, millions of dollars in the bank, certainly, we're not going to be [allocating money] unless they have a great idea,” he added. 

The Tippecanoe County Opioid Settlement Committee will review the grant applications and will distribute funding early next year. 

The deadline to submit grant applications is Oct. 31.

Application for the grant can be found on the county’s website. 

Recovery from addiction is possible. For help, call 2-1-1 to find available treatment providers and community resources or visit Treatment Atlas.

Contact WFYI’s health reporter Alex Li at ali@wfyi.org.