The Moore County Board of Commissioners recommended a resolution to fund three opioid treatment facilities at the July 18 special meeting. The resolution will be added to the Aug. 1 agenda.
Commissioners will vote on the resolution to fund FirstHealth of the Carolinas, Moore Buddies Mentoring and Samaritan Colony, Inc.
Moore County Public Safety was considered but must provide more information before being added to the funded list.
First Health aligned with three of the four strategies; recovery support, early intervention and Naloxone distribution.
Moore Buddies Mentoring focuses on early intervention for at-risk youth, aged 6-18, in the juvenile system, and or with family members using opioids or selling opioids.
Samaritan Colony provides individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders with evidence-based treatment, peer support, and recovery housing.
Initially, a little over $6 million in opioid settlement funds was expected for Moore County.
Now, Moore County will receive $11,308,540 over 18 years.
First Health requested $134,628.
Moore Buddies Mentoring requested $51,440.
Samaritan Colony, Inc requested $137,880.
County Manager Wayne Vest said quarterly reviews will ensure the funding is used under contractual guidelines.
Opioid Task Force Member Catherine Graham asked commissioners to invite schools to come and tell them what they are doing about early intervention.
“I want to see shock and awe,” Commissioner Jim Von Canon said about school prevention programs. “Go into schools. Show what four years of opioids would do to them.”
“In six months, look out for opioids cut with horse tranquilizers,” Bryan Phillips with Emergency Medical Services and Moore County Public Safety said during the Narcan discussion.
After Phillips’ Narcan presentation, the board asked him to create a proposal for a committee to oversee the ordering and reporting of Narcan use.
There is no collaborative software for tracking Narcan between the hospital, medical services, law enforcement and fire departments, which spend $23,250 on the antidote for opioid overdose.
Feature photo: County Manager Wayne Vest discusses the Opioid Task Force at the July 18, 2023, special meeting.
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel journalist Stephanie M. Sellers; BS Mass Communications and Journalism, MFA Creative Writing.
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