Carmel, NY – Today, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne announced that local organizations may now apply to receive opioid settlement funds that the County received as part of a landmark settlement with manufacturers of prescription opioids and major pharmaceutical distributors. A formal request for proposals (RFP) process has been initiated and the County is seeking proposals that provide integrated co-occurring substance misuse and mental health treatment services.  Individuals from Putnam County’s Department of Mental Health, Social Services & Youth Bureau (DMHSS) and the Department of Purchasing will be evaluating and accepting bids until Friday, September 1, 2023.

“We’re encouraging all community providers committed to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery to apply,” said County Executive Byrne. “I made it clear early on this money would not be used to plug budget gaps or supplant existing services and would instead be used to supplement and strengthen programs and services that help those harmed by big pharma’s bad actors.  This RFP process will help ensure this money goes to those organizations on the ground doing this important work, day to day, to help those suffering from addiction.”

In his State of the County address, County Executive Byrne announced his intention to use a portion of opioid settlement funds to make the Putnam County Prevention Council whole this year, after a significant amount of their grant funding dried up. The County Legislature then unanimously approved $85k in opioid settlement funds to be awarded to the Prevention Council in April of 2023.

“Our goal is to create a county wide system of care that is welcoming and effective in addressing the complex needs of all individuals in our community,” said DMHSS Commissioner Mike Piazza. “Organizations applying for these funds should know that they can build upon our already existing initiatives or come up with new ideas in areas identified by the county’s opioid settlement work group.”

“The opioid crisis has taken and continues to take a major toll on our nation. There is so much more we can be doing here in Putnam County, and we must make sure this money gets into the right hands so it can do the most good,” said Legislator Amy Sayegh, Deputy Chair of the Legislature and Chair of the Health Committee. “I look forward to hearing from Commissioner Piazza on August 8 at our next Health Committee meeting for an update on this important process.”

Those interested in applying can visit http://www.empirestatebidsystem.com/ for more information and can also submit a formal bid here.