Spectrum News: $3M To Bexar County to Fight Opioid Crisis

SAN ANTONIO -- Bexar County continues to fight the opioid crisis. On Tuesday, the county received more than $3 million in federal funds to fight addiction and mental illness.

• Much of the money will go toward funding opioid programs
• First time Bexar County has created specialized docket for women with mental illness and opioid addiction
• Since establishment of Opioid Taskforce, Bexar County has received $20 million in federal funds

That money is separated into four major grants. The grants ranging from $500,000-$900,000 will be used to fund the Bexar County Opioid Prevention and Intervention Program, the Bexar County Women's Mental Health Court, the Bexar County Family Drug Court and the Bexar County Reentry Program.

It's the first time that Bexar County has created a specialized docket for women who have a mental illness as well as an addiction to opioids.

"There is a safe way to be treated for that through pregnancy, and it's a low, low dose so the babies are born with very little in their system," said Angela White with Alpha Home. "The women are good and the pregnancy is sustainable. So we need to manage that very carefully."

"It will provide some treatment. It will provide for better county planning. It will build and back up the efforts that are already underway here in Bexar County to address this crisis," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas.

Since the establishment of the Opioid Taskforce, a total of $20 million of federal grant money has gone to Bexar County. Some of that money has already gone to community education and training first responders with naloxone, which reverses overdoes.