The Butler County Drug and Alcohol Programs are set to receive about $5.7 million in state grant funding over the next five years.

The Butler County Commissioners ratified a five-year grant agreement between the county and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs.

“Every five years, there's a new grant agreement,” said Donna Jenereski, director of the Butler County Drug and Alcohol Programs.

The funding helps finance the Butler County department's addiction services, which include assistance with prevention, treatment and intervention services for those struggling with substance abuse, gambling and other addictions.

Jenereski said a large amount of the funding supports treatment seekers who do not have health insurance.

“For people (who) have private insurance but have high copays, high deductibles, it's case by case, but we'll look at it and make every attempt to help with that,” she said.

The grant agreement extends to June 30, 2025, giving some stability to the department throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced many adaptations throughout county government.

Jenereski said her department has been no exception, and in recent weeks it has particularly focused on making Narcan more accessible during a time when social distancing has been key to slowing the spread of the virus.

Through the Butler FirstStep website, the department was able to set up a virtual training for people who need to acquire Narcan, or Naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

The trainee watches a video lecture by Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine on how to use Narcan, then takes a nine-question quiz, all of which is done on the same webpage.

People who complete the brief training can then pick up Narcan from a few different centers listed on the Butler FirstStep page.

“Because of COVID-19, not everything is 100 percent,” Jenereski said. “This is giving them a platform to do that step.”

She said people who will take advantage of this will likely be the family, friends or even a neighbor of someone who is struggling with addiction.

“It could be anybody for whatever reason who wants to have it on hand,” Jenereski said.