MAINE, USA — The Maine Recovery Council will soon start choosing applicants who have asked for a piece of $10 million of funding.
Maine is getting about $235 million over the span of 18 years from lawsuit settlements against companies that have deepened the opioid crisis across the country. The council will distribute about $118 million, half of the state's total earnings.
The council will soon start choosing applicants and projects seeking funds through the next $10 million rollout. Council Chair Pat Kimball said the council received more than 200 applications.
"There’s a lot of those projects that are worth funding, but we can’t fund them all. We have to do our best at looking what we think is the best investment," she said.
Kimball said this round of funds will prioritize projects focused on treatment, recovery, and harm reduction. She said council members will start scoring applications based on how well they line up with those goals.
"There’s only so much funds to go around, and that seems a little silly when you’re talking about $10 million. But the reality is this is a health care issue and it’s costly," Kimball said.
Kimball said the council will choose applicants as part of a preliminary round. Those who get chosen will have to submit a more in-depth application and go through another round of review.
"We do recognize the need. We know that people are dying; there are people who are not getting the treatment they need. We also know at the same time when treatment, recovery, prevention, harm reduction is available to people, lives are saved," Kimball said.