The Kane County Health Department awarded $300,000 in grants to seven local organizations working to prevent opioid overdoses, expand access to treatment and support recovery services across the community, officials said in a news release.

The funding – from state opioid response grants – supports a range of innovative programs designed to save lives and strengthen the safety net for individuals and families affected by substance use, according to the release.

“We’re actually very honored and thankful for the opioid grant funding,” Ecker Center CEO Daphne Sandouka said of the $50,000 the agency received. The grant will allow Ecker to expand treatment programs and support mobile and stationary recovery cafés, which connect people to job opportunities and peer support.

“It’s going to ensure we can continue to provide access to lifesaving services for individuals and families affected by the opioid crisis,” Sandouka said. “It will not only allow us to continue the amazing work that we do ... we can also enhance treatment options at Ecker Center.”

Other grant amounts and recipients are:

• Association for Individual Development received $50,000 to support its opioid prevention program and street outreach efforts to reach individuals living in homeless encampments or at risk of homelessness, providing critical resources and naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversing nasal spray.

• Gateway Foundation received $50,000 to enhance its community outreach and recovery supports program and to provide naloxone, fentanyl test strips, motivational interviewing, and peer-led connections for care and services following an overdose.

• Greater Family Health received $43,443 to expand interventions to reduce opioid overdoses, including support for its medication-assisted treatment and peer recovery specialists.

• Kane County Sheriff’s Office received $30,000– to strengthen its A Way Out program, which offers an immediate pathway to substance use treatment and recovery services to anyone in Kane County.

• Lighthouse Recovery received $41,465 to provide recovery services to meet community needs regardless of an individual’s financial circumstances.

• Serenity House received $35,110 to expand naloxone education and outreach, offer post-overdose support with specialists and to connect individuals and families to recovery housing, detox and treatment services.

Naloxone – or the brand name Narcan – is administered through a nasal spray and reverses the effects of an overdose from an opioid such as heroin, morphine or oxycodone.

“These grants represent a community-wide commitment to preventing overdose deaths and supporting individuals on their recovery journey,” Michael Isaacson, executive director of the Kane County Health Department, said in the release. “By investing in these local organizations and programs, we are saving lives and strengthening the systems that help our residents recover and thrive.”