CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas has awarded more than $21 million in grants to combat the opioid crisis statewide, with three Nueces County organizations receiving a portion of the funding to expand treatment and prevention services.
The funding comes from lawsuits dating back to the early 2000s filed by nearly every state, including Texas. These lawsuits claimed that drug companies were downplaying how addictive their painkillers really were, something many believe helped start the opioid crisis we see today.
"I know it's been around for a long time and it's getting worse," said Evette Wigginton, LPC supervisor at Amistad Health.
The Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council awarded over $21 million in grants to 109 programs across the state, all aimed at fighting the opioid crisis. In Nueces County, Amistad Health, the Cenikor Foundation and the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation were selected to receive grant money.
"Do you think this is a long time coming?”
“Yes," Wigginton said.
The Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation received $195,000 for prevention and public safety, focusing on outreach and education.
The Cenikor Foundation received $195,000 for treatment and coordination of care.
Amistad Health received $25,000 for the same effort, helping connect people to resources and long-term recovery.
Wigginton with Amistad Health says the grant money will directly support the expansion of their MAT program, which stands for Medicated Assisted Therapy and has only been around for a few years.
The MAT program will help those who are either uninsured or underinsured who are struggling with opioid use.
"Along with our MAT program they are required to attend counseling with me. We look at the whole person rather than just the substance use because the substance abuse is how they're handling the problem, it's not the problem," Wigginton said.
The awarded money will help cover the costs for the program including provider time, behavioral health support and essential medications. Wigginton says how long someone stays in the program depends on the person, their goals and what they can tolerate.
"So far we've had some success, others relapsed but we always welcome them back," Wigginton said.
For Wigginton, her efforts to help others hit close to home as she says she is in her own long-term recovery. Opioids were not her drug of choice but she says the support is what continues to get her through.
"Although it's not the only way to get sober, for me I think it's the easiest. I've been sober for 37 years. I can't forget where I came from," Wigginton said.
These grants come from state opioid settlement funds and they're meant to repair the damage caused by the opioid addiction epidemic.
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