Washington County seeks pitches for $700,000 grants
- shelettab
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 27
Minnesota expects to receive at least $633 million over many years from opioid manufacturers, pharmaceutical distributors, and pharmacy chains from settlements, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Washington County is currently accepting applications for $700,000 in funding for community-based projects designed to implement evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies while also engaging partners to provide equitable access. It’s a process the county completed in 2024 when it distributed $500,000 of its settlement funding to eight community-based projects.
“I have to say, it was a very rigorous process,” said Rolando Vera, Jr., correctional health and nursing manager, Washington County Public Health and Environment. “All of the applicants had to tell us what their plans were, their budgets, and what their expected outcomes were going to be.”
One example of the eight funded projects from 2024 is Waymakers to Recovery.
“This was a project that originally came to the selecting committee as basically a pitch,” said Sean Young-Stephens, program coordinator, Washington County Public Health and Environment. “Using their grant funding, the team over at Waymakers has successfully built this new organization that’s opened doors in Forest Lake.” Waymakers to Recovery offers peer recovery specialists who are trained to help someone struggling with addiction become ready and willing to seek treatment, explore their options, improve access to medication-assisted therapy, and offer guidance post-treatment.
Not only have Washington County’s grant selections proven successful, but the county’s selection model also received national attention. “Many of the contractors had to show us that what they were going to be doing was evidence-based,” Vera explained. “We held ourselves to that standard when we built this model.”
Built from the ground up and compatible with state and government regulations, the Washington County model was recognized with three awards, the Promising Practice Award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo), and the Award for Excellence in the Application of the Opioid Litigation Principles from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“We’re really honored and humbled that we got these three recognitions within the same year,” said Vero. “The truth is, we built this with the intention to share power with community, and these awards are just a testament to the county’s commitment to engage community in solutions.”
Washington County is currently accepting 2025 applications for community-based opioid projects to be funded with the $700,000 available opioid settlement dollars. The opportunity is open to everyone, and applicants can range from organizations to individual community members.
Eligible projects must serve Washington County community members and fall into one of thirteen categories, including the priority categories of treating opioid use disorder (OUD), addressing the needs of criminal justice-involved persons, and preventing overdose deaths and other harm reduction. The county notes that diversity and underserved communities will be prioritized across all funding categories. View the application and learn more at:
