Brown County Drug Overdose Deaths 2018-2022.
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) — Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach, along with Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain, Health and Human Services Executive Director Jeremy Kral, and Brown County Board of Supervisors Chairman Patrick Buckley announced a proposed Opioid Action Plan that outlines how Brown County will allocate its allotment of opioid settlement funds.
The proposed resolution will be voted on by the Brown County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on Wednesday February 15 at the Resch Expo. The Opioid Action Plan was formed in collaboration between the Health and Human Services Department and the Sheriff’s Office and features a four-pronged approach that focuses on areas of prevention, treatment, recovery, and enforcement.
Funds are coming from pill manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who acknowledged their role in this crisis. In 2022, the Brown County Drug Task Force seized over 9,900 grams of fentanyl; compared to just over 1 thousand in 2021.
“Brown County has seen annual overdose deaths surge since 2018 to the point where they comprise one-third of all autopsies performed. These tragedies involve people’s loved ones across all spectrums, including last year a baby just 16 months old,” said Brown County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Patrick Buckley.
If approved, funds will be invested over a 10-year period to hire a clinical professional with disciplines in mental health treatment and addiction, to disburse a grant for local non-hospital detox services, to offer sober living support and case management for 10 to 12 new clients, and to hire 2 new investigators within the Brown County Drug Task Force focusing investigating lethal and non-lethal opioid overdoses.
“The new investigators will allow for us to follow up on near-death overdoses,” said Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain. “We will then be able to direct those individuals with addiction problems to community resources.”
Brown County is currently in the process of receiving about $5.3 million from the 2021 nationwide settlement, and is anticipating receiving an additional approximately 4.07 million from the 2022 nationwide settlement.
To see the full resolution, click here.
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