Philadelphia Tribune: Philadelphia announces $3.5M overdose prevention fund

Alec Larson, Philadelphia Tribune

The city of Philadelphia has announced that it has launched a $3.5 million Overdose Prevention and Community Healing Fund in an effort to combat the ongoing overdose crisis. This is being done in partnership with the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation.

The Overdose Prevention Fund, which is comprised of opioid settlement funds, will enact a “community-driven grant-making process” that will focus on specific areas of Philadelphia that have been most impacted by the overdose crisis. The goal of the project is to directly address “prevention, recovery, and healing for the many individuals and communities affected,” according to a news release.

The fund will award grants to eligible community-based groups throughout Philadelphia, with extra consideration being given to organizations focused on “serving highly impacted areas in Kensington and North Philadelphia.” Following an application period, “community-led grant-making selection committees” will evaluate the grant applications and will submit their final recommendations to the city as to which groups should be chosen.

According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 1,276 fatal drug overdoses were recorded in Philadelphia in 2021. This is the highest number of overdose fatalities reported in a year in Philadelphia and a 5% increase over the number of overdose deaths recorded in 2020.

Although all racial/ethnic groups saw an increase in overdoses in 2021, non-Hispanic Black Philadelphians experienced the highest increase in reported overdose deaths in comparison to other racial/ethnic groups.

According to a report from the city's Department of Public Health, this “racial (disparity) in overdose fatalities” is “driving the observed increase in overall unintentional overdose deaths in Philadelphia” and thus has become a focus for recovery and prevention efforts on the city’s part.

Applications for the fund are open through Feb. 3, 2023, with the grant awardees set to be announced in spring 2023. Applications for the fund can be found on the Scattergood Foundation’s website.

Read the original article here.