The Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board has awarded a total of nearly $6 million for 35 projects across Kansas in support of substance abuse and addiction treatment services.
The Office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced the list of organizations that received funding through the KFA grant program’s first round of funding, which prioritized treatment, recovery, reducing harm associated with substance use, and linking people to support services and care. Funding through the grant program comes from money recovered by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office through opioid legal settlements.
The KFA board received so many quality treatment applications that its members moved to double the amount of funding, originally expected not to exceed $3 million, to more than $6 million. That allowed the board to fund 35 applications instead of the anticipated 17.
“These grants go to organizations working to abate the crisis across the state, working to help treat individuals with opioid and substance-use disorders, help develop communities of recovery, reduce the harm of the crisis, and ensure people seeking treatment are able to connect with providers offering care,” said Christopher Teters, assistant attorney general.
The Kansas Fights Addiction Act, enacted in 2021 by the Kansas Legislature, authorized the creation of the KFA board. Sunflower Foundation serves as the administrator for the KFA grant program. Through settlements with major pharmaceutical companies, distributors and related firms, Kansas has secured more than $340 million to be paid to the state over the next 18 years.
“We are proud to be part of this process as it aligns with our mission at the Sunflower Foundation – to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Kansans,” said Krista Machado, Sunflower Foundation’s KFA director. “As the grant administrator, we are excited to support these grantees as they combat the opioid crisis in our state.”
The KFA board approved grants to the following organizations:
The Mirror, Inc., $187,397
Church of the Resurrection, $199,946
Kansas Department of Corrections, $200,000
31st Judicial District Drug Court, $200,000
Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc., $199,293
DCCCA, $200,000
Friends of Recovery Association, $200,000
Lorraine’s House, $57,000
New Chance Inc., $197,980
The University of Kansas Health System, $200,000
Cornerstones of Care, $105,831
Heartland Community Health Center, $200,000
Crawford County MHC, $200,000
High Point Advocacy & Resource Center, Inc., $200,000
Hunter Health Clinic Inc., $199,171
The Mirror, Inc., $48,785
Riley County Community Corrections, $200,000
Unified Government Public Health Department, $200,000
High Plains MHC, $87,819
Valeo Behavioral Health Care, $200,000
Valley Hope Association, $182,577
Mental Health Association of South Central, $150,621
Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, $200,000
The Center for Counseling & Consultation, $177,375
Community Health Center of Southeast KS, $200,000
Kanza Mental Health & Guidance Center, $200,000
Third Judicial District of Kansas, $200,000
DCCCA, $200,000
CKF Addiction Treatment, $200,000
Saint Francis Community & Residential Services, $200,000
Substance Abuse Center of Kansas, $200,000
Heartland RADAC, $30,000
The Cedar House Foundation, $25,000
Empower House Ministries, $200,000
New Beginnings Inc., $95,000
According to the Office of the Kansas Attorney General, estimates show that more than 107,000 people died from a drug overdose in the U.S. in 2021. Of those, 75% involved opioids. In 2019, Kansas reported 393 overdose deaths, compared to 477 in 2020 and 678 in 2021, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Eligibility for the KFA grant program is limited to state agencies, local and county governments, and nonprofit organizations that provide services in Kansas for the purpose of preventing, reducing, treating, or otherwise abating or remediating substance abuse or addiction. Applicants also must release all legal claims arising from covered conduct against each defendant named in the opioid settlement agreements.
Applications for a second round of KFA funding, which is expected to make $2 million in grants available for prevention, providers and health systems, and public safety and first responders, are being reviewed. Funding notifications for prevention grants are anticipated on or before Oct. 2.