Dayton, Ohio – Montgomery County will receive a $3.45 million investment aimed at expanding addiction services, improving behavioral health care and providing additional support to people and families affected by the opioid crisis.
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation selected 11 projects in Montgomery County for funding through Regional Grant Cycle 2. The money will go to organizations providing services ranging from youth prevention and recovery housing to medication assisted treatment, street outreach and support for pregnant and parenting families.
Montgomery County makes up OneOhio Region 8, where Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge serves as Regional Board Chair.
“These awards represent a significant investment in the people and organizations working every day to address addiction in Montgomery County,” Commissioner Dodge said. “We have seen the toll the opioid crisis has taken on individuals and families across our community. This funding gives our local partners additional resources to respond to those challenges, strengthen the services already in place and reach more people who need support.”
Eleven Montgomery County projects receive funding
The largest individual award is going to Homefull, which will receive $1 million to create an Engagement Center at the Gettysburg Shelter. The center is intended to give people immediate access to recovery services.
Five Rivers Health Centers will receive $421,000 to increase substance use prevention and treatment services offered through primary care. The project will also expand access to medications used to treat opioid use disorder.
Sidewalk Soldiers was awarded $350,000 to increase maternal and family peer support for pregnant and parenting women affected by opioid use disorder.
Nova Behavioral Health, Inc. will receive $334,000 for several services aimed at pregnant and parenting families, including recovery housing, outpatient treatment, parenting assistance and peer recovery support.
Wright State University was awarded $292,074 to expand street outreach and peer support through Dayton Street Medicine.
Ascend Innovations, Inc. will receive $260,000 to expand the Montgomery County Safety Net Portal, while the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton, Inc. was awarded $250,000 for programs focused on preventing opioid and other substance use among young people while building resilience.
Another $250,000 will go to MonDay Community Correctional Institution to increase access to medication assisted treatment. The effort is designed to lower overdose risks, support recovery and improve the chances of successful reentry into the community.
Daybreak, Inc. will receive $155,740 for substance use services aimed at addressing problems that could put a person’s housing stability at risk.
Affecting Community Transformation, doing business as Oasis House, was awarded $100,000 to assist human trafficking survivors dealing with complex trauma, substance use and co occurring mental health conditions.
The FOA Foundation will receive $36,000 for prevention and resilience services for young people between ages 10 and 17 who have been affected by substance use.
Together, the 11 awards address different stages and effects of addiction, from preventing substance use among young people to helping people access treatment and maintain recovery.
Safety Net Portal receives additional investment
One of the grants will strengthen a larger behavioral health project that Montgomery County has already been developing.
Ascend Innovations’ $260,000 award will support expansion of the Montgomery County Safety Net Portal. The system is being created to improve communication between organizations that may work with the same person during a behavioral health crisis.
Health care providers, behavioral health organizations, public safety agencies and groups providing housing and homeless services are among those expected to benefit from better coordination through the portal.
The Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners and the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association created the Behavioral Health Task Force in 2023. Its work has focused on improving coordination, efficiency and equity across behavioral health services.
Montgomery County has already committed $1.3 million to the Safety Net Portal. The project is intended to provide participating organizations with information that can help them make better decisions about patient care.
“People experiencing a behavioral health crisis may interact with several different organizations, and those organizations need a better way to communicate and coordinate care,” Commission President Carolyn Rice said. “The Safety Net Portal will help connect those pieces so providers have better information, can make more informed decisions and can help get people to the appropriate care and services sooner. This additional funding allows us to continue building on the investment Montgomery County and our health care partners have already made.”
Funding comes from opioid settlement money
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation’s 29 member Board of Directors approved the grants following a review process involving several steps, including technical review and input from the regions.
The individual awards remain contingent on fully executed grant agreements.
OneOhio is responsible for distributing 55% of Ohio’s opioid settlement funds for efforts related to substance use prevention, treatment and recovery.
The latest $3.45 million investment adds to money Montgomery County has already directed toward responding to the opioid crisis.
In 2024, the county provided just over $2 million in its own opioid settlement funding to local nonprofit organizations. Those investments also focused on treatment, prevention and recovery services.
The newly announced OneOhio awards broaden that work by supporting organizations serving different populations and needs across Montgomery County. Some projects concentrate on young people before substance use begins, while others address treatment, housing, family stability, behavioral health crises and long term recovery.
The funding will also reach people who may face additional barriers to care, including individuals experiencing homelessness, people returning to the community after incarceration, human trafficking survivors and pregnant or parenting families.
County officials say the investments are intended not only to expand individual programs but also to improve how local organizations work together. Through projects such as the Safety Net Portal and direct services offered by the other grant recipients, the funding will provide additional resources to Montgomery County’s continuing response to addiction and the lasting effects of the opioid crisis.
