Applications now open for opioid settlement grants

About $75,000 in grants will be available in 2027 to Waseca County groups whose proposals are selected by the county Opioid Advisory Council, a group of county staff members and interested citizens who have volunteered to administer funds the county receives under a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies who profited from the production and sales of highly addictive, opioid-based medicines.

 

Under the lawsuit, Waseca County is scheduled to receive well over $1 million spread out across 18 years.

 

At the recommendation of county public health nurse Sarah Berry, county commissioners recently approved $75,000 in opioid settlement funds for distribution during 2027. Area organizations and individuals may request money to expand or augment an existing program or to begin a new one. Applications will be evaluated quarterly, with an upcoming application deadline of Dec. 15. Applicants will be notified of advisory council decisions within about 45 days of the deadline.

 

When evaluating applications, Berry said, advisory council members will consider whether proposed programs or processes focus on priorities indicated during a 2025 county survey: “prevention in youth, family and community programs, followed closely by treatment and recovery by expanding treatment options.”

 

Successful applicants from the first round in 2026 included the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton school district, which received $15,800 to begin a “Hope Squad” program in the district; the Waseca County Community Corrections department, which received $10,500 in support of the ”Rehabilitative Support for Youth on Probation or Diversion” (RESET) Program; and the Waseca County Recovery program, which received $3,000 to organize monthly events where individuals in recovery and their sober supports could take part together in activities like bowling, bingo, and volleyball. 

 

More information about the application process is available on the county public health website.