SUBJECT:
Title
Request Approval of Regional Opioid Settlement Committee Recommendation for Funding (Budget Impact - Neutral; not to exceed $261,250)
Body
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INITIATOR: |
DEPARTMENT: |
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Cheryl Butler, Director |
Community Services |
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND:
On November 5, 2024, the Board approved the Interlocal Agreement with the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) to monitor and review the expenditure of Opioid Settlement Funds, followed by a First Amendment on December 17, 2024. This agreement designates MCHD as the disbursement agent responsible for distribution, vetting, monitoring, and the reporting of expenditures for regional opioid funds.
On July 1, 2025, the Board approved the 2025-26 Marion County Regional Opioid Abatement Plan which set four (4) funding priorities recommended by the Opioid Settlement Committee to include:
• Expansion of Warm Handoff Programs and Recovery Services
• Pregnant and Postpartum Women
• Connections to Care
• Support People in Treatment and Recovery
On January 8, 2026, the Regional Opioid Settlement Committee reviewed and recommends approval for an additional project that aligns with the “Support People in Treatment and Recovery” priority, Open Arms Women’s Village (attached). This new facility will fill a significant gap in Marion County’s recovery housing landscape, as existing transitional housing programs for women primarily prioritize mothers with children, leaving single women with limited access to sober housing. The Women’s Village will replicate Open Arms Village’s established low-barrier men’s transitional housing program, which has operated since 2013 and reports an 82% success rate. The women’s program will provide a structured, recovery-oriented environment for single women through evidence-based services including counseling, peer support, case management, relapse-prevention training, life-skills development, and required participation in 12-step recovery activities.
Regional opioid funds will support a portion of the planned full renovation of a facility that will be leased to expand recovery housing services. The recommended award from the regional opioid fund is $250,000, which, with a 4.5% administrative allocation required under MCHD’s interlocal agreement with the County, brings the total distribution to $261,250.
BUDGET/IMPACT:
Neutral; not to exceed $261,250
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
Motion to approve the recommendation of the Regional Opioid Settlement Committee and authorize the Marion County Hospital District to enter into an agreement with Open Arms Village for the distribution of regional opioid settlement funds.
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