As one of County Executive Ryan’s “Big Five” priorities to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Ryan has dedicated an unprecedented $1.3 million in opioid prevention spending since taking office

In the 2021 Executive Budget, $670,000 will be used for opioid education, outreach and delivery of medication for high-risk populations, safer opioid dispensing practices, and providing social support to those struggling with opioids related to housing, childcare, transportation and more 

Earlier this week County Executive Pat Ryan declared a Public Health Emergency due to the recent spikes in deaths caused by fentanyl

KINGSTON, N.Y. - Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan unveiled his first proposal as part of his 2021 Executive Budget, committing to dedicate over $670,000 to opioid use prevention. As part of one of County Executive Ryan’s “Big Five” priorities to Tackle the Opioid Epidemic, Ryan has dedicated an unprecedented 1.3 million dollars over the past two years in opioid prevention spending.

As Ulster County continues to ramp up its efforts to combat opioid use, additional funding will be made available through the 2021 Executive Budget to help those struggling with opioids. Funds will be used to address areas related to opioid education, outreach and delivery of medication for high-risk populations, safer opioid dispensing practices, and providing social support to those struggling with opioids related to housing, childcare, transportation and more. 

“Now more than ever, it is critical that we do all that we can to ramp up and prioritize combating the opioid epidemic,” said County Executive Ryan. “That is why when I took office I made tackling the opioid epidemic one of my “Big Five” priorities. These funds will go a long way in helping to educate the public, provide needed treatment and support, and to ultimately save lives. Ulster County will not just talk about the issue, we are taking real action and putting funding behind stopping an epidemic that has ripped apart too many families in our community.” 

As part of the 2021 Executive Budget, residents will have the opportunity to obtain housing vouchers at local hotels for those in need of safe housing while seeking treatment. Additionally, vouchers for childcare to assist those in obtaining treatment and attending critical appointments will be made available. Further, funds will be made available to offset transportation costs for residents getting help and providing access to technology for telemedicine needs. 

Funding will also be used to expand Ulster County’s High Risk Mitigation Team to the City of Kingston and strengthen its reach into other parts of Ulster County. Through this new effort, Ellenville Regional Hospital will fund two Care Managers to serve communities outside the City of Kingston and the Ulster County Health Department will fund one Care Manager to focus on Kingston along with assisting the program in reviewing all county overdoses and connecting the many treatment facilities. 

The High Risk Mitigation Team will take a population health approach and work closely with those struggling with addiction to ensure they receive comprehensive, personalized support and services. The team will carefully follow their treatment so they don’t slip through the cracks in existing systems. Services will include: linking to peer services, treatment, harm reduction measures, medication assisted treatment, OUD prevention education, and recovery services.

On Monday, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced that Ulster County has declared a Public Health Emergency due to the recent spikes in deaths caused by fentanyl. From the period January through July, opioid-related deaths increased 171% in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. For that same time period (January through July), fentanyl-related deaths increased from 58% of all opioid-related deaths in 2018 to 89% of all opioid-related deaths in 2020.  

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