First District Health Unit and Endeavor Sober Living in Minot are among more than a dozen agencies across North Dakota sharing in more than $7 million in grant funding from the North Dakota Opioid Settlement Fund.

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services reports the grant funds have been instrumental in supporting implementation of prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery initiatives, as well as enhancing the state’s behavioral health workforce. During the past six months, nearly 900 North Dakotans have benefited from programs and services funded by these grants.

Endeavor Sober Living received $535,000 to establish a recovery house in Minot, which has served 14 individuals.

First District Health Unit received $66,681 for the Syringe Service Program, which added three additional hours per week. The unit provided services to 13 new individuals and referred 10 individuals to substance use treatment or medical care. Additionally, it reported improvement in substance use for five individuals, improvement in employment status for 11 individuals and improvement in housing situation for five individuals. Overall, 140 individuals have enrolled in the program.

Grants were awarded in January.

“We are encouraged by the positive impact these funds have made in addressing the behavioral health needs of North Dakotans,” said North Dakota Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller, who chairs the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee. “In just six months, the work of the grant recipients is already driving meaningful change and improving lives.”

Sanford Medical Center, Fargo, received $397,430 to expand opioid use disorder treatment capabilities. Fifteen prescribers have been trained on best practices for prescribing medications for opioid use disorder, and two new providers have started prescribing medications, bringing the total to three prescribers. The center is also making progress toward becoming a licensed Substance Use Disorder Treatment program.

Community Medical Services in Grand Forks received $452,389 for its Opioid Treatment Program, enabling it to serve an additional 22 individuals.

The Northeast Central Judicial District Drug Court in Grand Forks received $54,000, and the Richland County Treatment Court in Wahpeton received $134,000. Collectively, these two entities provided treatment services to 11 new individuals, supported improvement in employment status for 12 individuals and improvement in housing situations for nine individuals.

The North Dakota State University Opioid and Naloxone Education (ONE) Program received $82,537. The NDSU ONE Program hosted and discussed collaborative work with tribal health directors and installed 76 Be the ONE boxes in tribal communities. These include video and audio recordings on how to administer Narcan and two doses of Narcan.

The Training Academy of Addiction Professionals/Heartview Foundation received $613,002.

Since February, the academy has established four new licensed addiction counselor (LAC) training sites. The program has added 14 new clinical supervisors and is supporting 10 trainees with paid internships. Notably, eight individuals have graduated as LACs or licensed master addiction counselors, with five receiving licenses to practice in North Dakota.

USpireND-Healthy Families North Dakota received $130,075 to support 78 families across the state since March, including 11 families involving individuals who are incarcerated. Services have reached Barnes, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Grand Forks, Hettinger, Morton, Stark and Stutsman counties.

Community Connect received $3.9 million. Through 49 local providers, Community Connect has provided funding for recovery support services for an additional 614 individuals throughout the state.

North Dakota is actively participating in national opioid settlements and has received about $19 million to date, with an expected $60 million more over the next 18 years.

The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee was established as a requirement for the state to receive and spend opioid remediation settlement funds, received through court-approved settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, to address and remediate the public health crisis caused by the opioid epidemic.

The committee is responsible for providing input and making recommendations regarding specific opioid remediation or abatement priorities, and expenditures for the use of opioid remediation funds on approved opioid remediation uses, to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The committee consists of six voting members, three of whom are appointed by the chairman of legislative management, three who are representatives of state agencies, and one nonvoting chairperson who is appointed by the governor.