Funding Approved for Vital Health and Safety Services in St. Louis

 

Today, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed voted in support of the continued fight to end opioid overdoses in our City and to provide much needed health services for persons with HIV/AIDS. 

The Board of Estimate and Apportionment unanimously approved a $746,835.00 contract with the vendor SEARCH to create a data collection system for the St. Louis Opioid and Homicide
Prevention Command Center. The unified computer database system will be used to collect and analyze information on overdoses, such as data like knowing where people overdose and what they are overdosing from. 

“By having this information in one centralized location, it will help us formulate a strategy both in the City and regionally to combat the opioid crisis,” said Reed.

The funding for the St. Louis Opioid and Homicide Prevention Command Center came from a $1M grant by the Department of Justice. The Board of Aldermen unanimously passed Ordinance 70852 which led to the partnership by the City and the Department of Justice. The remainder of the grant funds will be used to fund a community resource response team. Following an overdose incident, members of the community resource response team will help overdose victims get access to treatment and other resources for recovery.

In addition, funding was also approved for two additional staff positions to administer the Ryan White Part A HIV/AIDS Treatment program. The program will allow persons living with HIV in St. Louis access to essential health and support services. The funding comes from a grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Program serves as an important source of ongoing access to HIV medication that can enable people living with HIV to live close to normal lifespans.

“Ultimately, the goal of both of these programs are to save lives. Anything we can do to save someone’s life is worth the money,” said Reed.