DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Hundreds of Illinoisans lose their lives to drug overdoses each year. Now pharmaceutical companies are paying up to get addicts the help they need. Illinois settled two cases for $26-billion, and the city of Decatur is getting a cut of the money.Â
"There's a significant opioid epidemic and Macon County, Decatur is no different than anywhere across the nation," Mary Garrison, CEO of Heritage Behavioral Health Center, told WAND News.
Heritage and Crossings Healthcare are helping end the cycle of addiction each day.
"We know that it's key that when someone says I'm ready- that we can get you in. So we have a residential rehabilitation and a withdrawal management program," Garrison explained.
These providers are now getting $50,000 total, paid for by the very companies accused of helping fuel the opioid epidemic.
"We're very fortunate in that we've got great partners in Decatur with Heritage and Crossings Health Care. So those are the experts and we want to make sure the money goes to do the most good," Decatur Mayor Julie Moore-Wolfe told WAND News.
Garrison said $10,000 will help build a stable living environment for people battling addiction.
"Help them maybe get some funds to go towards housing, access food, various things- to really bring some stability, that as they're working through and addressing their addiction, that they can see some positive outcomes," Garrison added.
Another $10,000 will pay for harm reduction supplies like narcan and fentanyl testing strips.
"If they are using, we want to help them use safely. Our goal is to have them not use- but they have to be ready to do that," Garrison said.
Both Heritage and Crossing will also put money towards bus tokens and community outreach, ensuring everyone can get the help they need no matter their situation.
"Anything we can do to bridge those gaps and make it work best for the people who are trying to get help, and the organizations that are providing that help," Mayor Moore-Wolfe explained.
The state is expected to distribute more settlement money to individual cities in the coming months.
See the full breakdown of how each provider plans to spend its funds here:
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