FRANKFORT, Indiana — A small Indiana community’s approach to tackling the opioid crisis has caught the attention of some at the White House.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited the City of Frankfort on Friday and commended the city’s “all-hands-on-deck” approach.

“What I see here in the City of Frankfort is how a community comes together to solve this problem,” Dr. Gupta said.

According to the director, what’s being done in Frankfort could offer a blueprint for other Indiana communities. The city’s strategy includes not only the support of local leaders, but that of recovery centers, local businesses, and law enforcement.

“It’s definitely gratifying to have recognition for our community like that because we do so much work,” Greg George, Operations Director for ONE80 Recovery Resources, said.

Others said the area can set an example for all of Indiana.

“We have been talking about Clinton County and Frankfort as a model for the state for quite a while now,” Douglas Huntsinger, Executive Director of Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement, said.

Huntsinger said several communities adopting a similar approach is part of what’s led to a decrease in opioid overdose deaths.

“We are looking at preliminary numbers from the CDC showing a 20% reduction in 2022,” Huntsinger said.

According to Huntsinger, 30 Indiana communities, including Frankfort, received funding from the state’s opioid settlement — funding that’s helping make a more inclusive approach feasible.

“There’s about $300M that’s going across the United States, so $18M of that coming to our state is really important,” David Fry, Executive Director of ONE80 Recovery Resources, said.

Huntsinger said the state has also used some opioid settlement funds to provide capital for recovery centers looking to expand bed capacity.

“We’ll be making an announcement about those awardees, later probably this month,” Huntsinger said.