Tioga Legislature approves mental health, substance abuse funding

By Matt Freeze —

Tioga County legislators approved an additional full-time clinical social worker position Tuesday.

The move followed a request brought by the county’s Mental Hygiene Department that the Newark Valley School District would like to expand its social services with an additional full-time employee.

“Tioga County has a lot of mental hygiene people that are assigned to the schools,” Legislator Bill Standinger said. “I think that’s a very good use of the money to provide that service to the school kids that are having problems.”

The funding for the position will be covered in part by a contractual $25,000 paid annually by the Newark Valley School District.

The position will be created effective July 17.

Legislators also unanimously approved the use of a total of $40,000 from the county’s opioid settlement fund toward the Tioga County Jail’s medically assisted treatment program, which county documents said had run over budget.

Additionally, legislators voted to approve the receipt of $50,000 in federal grant funds from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) toward curbing substance abuse among youth.

And, with the Village of Owego’s receipt of $468,416 in grant funds toward the historic renovation of the Owego Police Department building, legislators approved the county’s Economic Development and Planning Department to assist the village with its state-mandated historic preservation review for the project.