SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County residents who have an opioid addiction will soon have more resources available to help them.
The county recently approved a roughly $12 million portion of a settlement between the State of Texas and Johnson & Johnson worth more than $290 million, one of many lawsuits against opioid manufacturers still pending.
Details on how the county will distribute that money have not been released. Nonprofit agencies are pushing to get some of those funds to continue their missions to help people who have hit rock bottom due to their opioid addiction.
Roy Reina and Skyler Deaver found help through organizations like Rise Recovery. They are now mentoring others through that same program as counselors.
“I think that there should be many places that help individuals who are looking for recovery that don’t require money, that don’t require insurance,” Reina said. “By the time most people get to that point where they’re ready to get help, they’ve lost everything, including money, including insurance and a lot of times family.”
Deaver says decades after his addiction to opioids, he’s still recovering from the major effects and long-term effects of those drugs.
“It’s hard to do it on your own. It’s the hardest thing I ever had to do, even with help,” he said.
Evita Morin, CEO of Rise Recovery, says nonprofits should be at the top of the list.
“We are still at capacity at all of our facilities, and there are still many people who are hiding in the shadows for whom this is going to be a really important message to get out that resources are coming for them and that we want to help them,” she said.
Rise Recovery has a three-year plan to expand its youth and young adult services and families program. They will open a larger facility next summer.
Anyone who needs help with their addiction is asked to call Rise Recovery at 210-729-2273.