In 2023 Ohio will divide and distribute 450 million dollars to 19 regions over 18 years.
 
It's settlement money from Opioid lawsuits against pharmacies.
 
 In Youngstown an oversight board was thinking outside the box on ways that money can be used for treatment, prevention and recovery services.
 
At the beginning of the new year opioid lawsuit settlement money from pharmacies is expected to be distributed to 19 regions across Ohio.
 
Here in the valley Mahoning and Trumbull are considered one region, region nine.
 
"These dollars will actually be in hand. There's no appeals. There's no appeals. There is money that's already awarded and once this goes through the Ohio One Foundation in Columbus.  It will  come down to the nineteen regions and we will start being able to give out grants," Duane Piccirelli, Executive Director Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery.
 
Members sworn in to an oversight board will meet monthly and work to develop an application process, make sure it's highly publicized,  transparent, and develop a scoring mechanism. 
 
Recommendations by the board will go to a state board to make sure spending complies with terms of how the settlement money must be spent.
 
"The guidelines are very broad so o grassroots agencies, faith based people already doing the work. You need certified agencies. It's very broad, law enforcement, first responders," said April Caraway, Executive Director of Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery.
 
 
People with life experience such as parents who know the struggles of trying to help their sons or daughters battling addiction are on the board. This mom believes our region needs programs that put emphasis on extended long term treatment and whole family education.
 
"We learned everything about the brain, we learned about triggers, we understood so much when we left there and I think that's lacking," said Linda Spies.