[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6661678,"mediaKeyId","2406526-6b9d2f2bfa161e8d5fa0a6bcbc40ac5d","parentId",2406526,"title","Gates County begins peer support pilot for post‑overdose response using opioid settlement funds","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1798000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2406526-6b9d2f2bfa161e8d5fa0a6bcbc40ac5d&start=1798&end=1798","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2406526-6b9d2f2bfa161e8d5fa0a6bcbc40ac5d/thumbnail_1798000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6661678/Gates-County/North-Carolina/Gates-County-begins-peer-support-pilot-for-postoverdose-response-using-opioid-settlement-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661678-d2a58b4bbcb8d60a9851eb52a9cdcd59/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078368&Signature=V-S~mekn7v7XbhxJ5uJqKPuEr5V4ZyVGMpmAtcWbBWQVWbmXj4fjHBDP4vKhFL6iebrrBcr5f2mTJM2OOjherhk7gSQwf5r7ptoZJ4rIm1cyjOxydjPj61jbhv4oLjv1yqrxYRr6T0R6~z4M4wmshdplNR3Nm5J86T2KkMpPqZlJWNH42u0yjiLCN98qjNTPzmetZ6LDuFYgFJGf8RSdRL4j-mDOXaqrT7MGVHRjyr2Ra0j0hpRDN9jXYcXe1BtErkDQaahsOospapYYzDl6VBTi4ErtGak4~GOTZeYH-ds3aaTp3AmhLj-CFfjvTovn~Oc2F8C8W8YVN4hqAPeYeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Gates County","date","2025-02-26T22:40:39.513Z","article","Chief Stormy Butts of Gates County Rescue told a town hall audience that Gates County is launching a peer support program within its post‑overdose response work using opioid settlement funds the county approved for the purpose.

“We're the ones that see them first whenever they call 911 due to an overdose,” Butts said, describing emergency medical services’ front‑line role and the county’s decade of work with Albemarle Regional Health Services on post‑overdose response and harm‑reduction efforts. Butts said the county formed a committee to allocate opioid settlement funds and that a commissioner signed a resolution late last year to spend some of the settlement money over the next five years to add peer support specialists to the post‑overdose response team.

Butts said staff identified county employees who met certification criteria, and one person completed a 60‑hour training in January and received certification this month as a peer support specialist. The certified staff member was not present at the meeting because she was attending a class on substance‑use effects on early childhood development.

Butts said the county’s use of opioid settlement funds will emphasize early intervention and training — including language in the resolution to bring training to teachers — and expand peer support within the post‑overdose response team. He also said the county’s chosen funding approach does not extend to broad primary‑prevention programs at scale. “We went to work looking for a person that qualifies ... she spent 60 hours in a class, and she just received her certification at the beginning of this month,” Butts said.

Butts described operational challenges: identifying people in need who do not call 911, and overcoming trust barriers that can limit uptake of services. He said peer support specialists, who have lived experience, are intended to bridge that trust gap and connect people to resources.

The presentation noted the program is in early stages: one certified peer support specialist is in place, the post‑overdose response team exists and additional peer specialists are being identified for training. The county previously allocated funding through a resolution for a multi‑year plan; Butts said the allocation covers certification and adds peer support roles to existing EMS response activities.

The opioid task force town hall closed and the full meeting reconvened for the regular agenda at 6:00 p.m.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2-26-25: Town Hall Meetings, 5pm-6pm","oneSentenceSummary","Chief Stormy Butts of Gates County Rescue reported that the county has certified one peer support specialist and is launching a peer‑led post‑overdose response team funded with opioid settlement dollars; a county resolution committing funds over five years was described as already signed.","taxTitle","Gates County, North Carolina","taxId",73548,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6661681,"OIC of Rocky Mount to coordinate local reentry council serving Hertford, Bertie, Gates and Chowan",1147,55000,1202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2406526-6b9d2f2bfa161e8d5fa0a6bcbc40ac5d&start=55&end=1202","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2406526-6b9d2f2bfa161e8d5fa0a6bcbc40ac5d/thumbnail_55000.jpg","/articles/6661681/Gates-County/North-Carolina/OIC-of-Rocky-Mount-to-coordinate-local-reentry-council-serving-Hertford-Bertie-Gates-and-Chowan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6661681-2cfe1d899fb76f57cc01dd270314598f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078368&Signature=PqagyKSp8A3vCq8B4GzOxz9BDdh7LxnuZDOHJOPt48SuL2TSdYiZO4LQDiECLstUQIZ7ViVFPvbMyu7JN5v5ZpXu8ml3MogkFMLgg1Y8YZAl4xiZMMHyz4-T79d3Fw5nnmUNidzdaXTI~7~Hr19rZpAckmnHC9VqN3BJKpW~kAUYfjGkRL9LkDnJb7ue7wGqNlCSrEOdwEnmmgt6OFen6tPuWEehKlSMllZ7sHkC9Krc3HT7jXQFiP1AXyhxT0XrIImvFQppIUycLKH3uBgSPVGdkJfALs5RgH~fcTWMXJJCIkoeShhHh2S~wzTKkHRqvgG5QT~uALqykYmkTXs5rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greg Singleton, presenter for the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Rocky Mount, told a Gates County town hall audience that OIC will serve as the intermediary agency for a new local reentry council covering Hertford, Bertie, Gates and Chowan counties.

Singleton said the council’s purpose is to help people returning from incarceration transition to the community, lower recidivism and improve public safety by connecting returning citizens and their families to existing local services. “When we say intermediary agency, we’re the ones that’s responsible for the contract itself,” Singleton said.

The program is funded through a reimbursement grant from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Singleton said. OIC will act as the fiscal agent and must front costs before submitting claims for reimbursement. Singleton said the grant’s allowable line items include housing, transportation, food, clothing, education, employment, mental health, substance‑use treatment and childcare.

Singleton described the council’s structure as an executive committee representing each of the four counties and a monthly advisory board that will connect the council to local resources such as community colleges and departments of social services. He said the council will hire two full‑time case managers and use a case‑management database called Unite Us for intake and client tracking. “We have 2 full time case manager positions ... those positions are posted hopefully on your county website,” Singleton said.

The reentry program is voluntary. In response to a resident’s question about referrals, Singleton said staff will use lists provided by the Department of Adult Corrections for outreach, will hold posted office hours in a space “between here and Gates,” and that participants must opt in. He also urged residents to nominate advisory‑board members and to contact Cynthia Magren, listed in the presentation as the office reentry director, to get involved.

Singleton framed the council as an effort to reduce the county’s “collateral cost of incarceration” by helping people secure employment and stable living arrangements on release. He said OIC of Rocky Mount — which he said has provided services in the region since 1969 — will manage contract execution and serve as the liaison with the state. Singleton asked the community to participate in advisory boards and monthly meetings to ensure local involvement in decisions.

The town hall recessed at the end of the reentry presentation and reconvened later for an opioid task force segment.","At a Gates County town hall, Greg Singleton of OIC of Rocky Mount outlined a new local reentry council funded by the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, emphasizing OIC as the intermediary agency, two full‑time case manager positions, reimbursement funding, and community advisory boards.","actionData","errors"]

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Gates County begins peer support pilot for post‑overdose response using opioid settlement funds

OIC of Rocky Mount to coordinate local reentry council serving Hertford, Bertie, Gates and Chowan