A $15,000 grant will help Monroe County continue to fund its syringe exchange program for the next year.
The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis and AIDS United is awarding Monroe County the grant for the third year in a row.
Monroe County Commissioners voted last month to extend the syringe exchange program through 2019. The county is the first in the state to offer a two-year contract to a needle exchange.
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Kathy Hewett is the lead health educator for the Monroe County Health Department. She says the two-year contract enables the program to continue to apply for future grants.
"Since it's on a yearly basis, we've just done it yearly after we received our approval," she says.
The State Board of Health also awarded Monroe County a grant to fund a new part-time position. That job will address harm reduction and HIV prevention services within the community.