By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The city of Warsaw is looking at three new ways to boost its CARES program, which has taken on an expanded role in fighting the opioid epidemic.
CARES was started less than two years ago to provide mental health services and other support for people encountered by Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory responders who are upset or feeling traumatized for various reasons.
It was initiated by Mayor Joe Thallemer who saw the success it was having in central Indiana and saw the potential for its use in Warsaw.
Since then, the effort has placed more emphasis on the drug epidemic and is now responsible for distributing hundreds of doses of Narcan per year to emergency responders who can use it on people in the throes of an overdose.
On Friday, the city Board of Works approved plans to apply for $137,500 in matching grant money from the state’s opioid settlement fund that will be used to expand CARES, which stands for Community Assistance, Resources and Emergency Services.
EMS Chief Chris Fancil said the additional money will allow the program to expand its reach in the community and “really start pivoting to the substance abuse area.”
“We thought this grant was a great way to make that work a little more seamlessly by pursuing this money,” he said.
Mayor Joe Thallemer strongly supports the growing initiative.
“We quickly learned that you can’t really separate the mental health issues from the addiction issues,” Thallemer said. “And as the opioid settlements come down, it gives us a great opportunity to expand the services that we want to try to provide with CARES.”
“I’m thrilled at how important CARES has become,” he said. “There’s a ton of work to do.”
Fancil told the board they are also seeking to use grant money from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program to hire an additional person to work in the CARES program.
On top of that, the city plans to establish a website to promote available resources.
Fancil presented a contract with 1Eighty Digital to begin the design and execution of the CARES resource website and phone app.
The Kosciusko County Community Foundation awarded a $7,500 grant toward the website and app.
The total cost is expected to be about $7,800.
Fancil presented a contract with 1Eighty Digital to create the CARES resource website as well as a phone app.
The request was approved.
