Barton County Health Director Shelly Schneider and Community Corrections Director Amy Boxberger attended the 2018 Kansas Opiod Conference Nov. 15 in Topeka. The conference was aimed at educating attendees of the crisis and to prevent further escalation in Kansas.

Schneider says even if law enforcement could commit all their resources to fighting the problem it would have little impact on the amount of opioids that are readily available. Part of the reason for that is the proximity to Mexico, and not just geographically.

Shelly Schneider Audio

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment invited local health departments to apply for funding, not to exceed $75,000 per county, to support projects that address the opioid overdose crisis in Kansas.

Talking with Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir on what the county could use the money for, the Sheriff encouraged opioid education and awareness training. Schneider also wants to be looking ahead to what the next crisis will be in Barton County.

Shelly Schneider Audio

The grant request was due this week and the county will find out if they received any funding by November 30. If the county does receive funding, the money has to be spent by June 30, 2019.