The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve contracts with two organizations to provide services for people with opioid addiction and expand prevention and education programs.

The annual contracts, with Centerstone of Florida Inc. and Kimmie’s Recovery Zone, will provide services to an estimated 320 adults.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office and the Lee Board of County Commissioners took legal action against pharmaceutical companies that resulted in an Opioid Abatement Plan that requires funding allocation to respond to the epidemic. Lee County is to receive $26 million during the next 18 years.

Lee County has designated the long-standing Public Safety Coordinating Council as the local task force to address the opioid epidemic. Identified strategies include implementing a coordinated system of care to address behavioral health needs, expanding prevention and education programs, increasing availability and training in the use of overdose reversal medications and increasing access to treatment.

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Source: Lee County Government