[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-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",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",7311771,"mediaKeyId","5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed","parentId",5566424,"title","Burke County advisory committee endorses three opioid-settlement programs; backs harm-reduction and family recovery pilots","audioSeconds",5595,"startMs",1320240,"endMs",6915430,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed&start=1320&end=6915","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed/thumbnail_1320240.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7311771/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-advisory-committee-endorses-three-opioid-settlement-programs-backs-harm-reduction-and-family-recovery-pilots","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7311771-86e79e8337a39016243d80d42002b3ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1775285226&Signature=JVKz17ZDeJn5t0N5UI1qQZb5FqdiRjjParbhpJwQYSOFRlXyRvkhO4b~ch4YKSWrx3NX73gqooklqvgrXbOpLK6dY9jeZ-i-SNXVLiOaLszrejMveLh~hFT0nb6tQZp2-j8D6p4YNVJsgSt0PKrDiRp6I73gpafiqSc~0K52ht8m9mvEu9QfhBQI10b3~ikX1yIhTN4qX6w2BwOFWeV3YJRBduj4AOvmXgpXP9-2eYjBV3q9EfWBNlmVac729XnbArLJ4nLlSJWN6OM55mCaz8jlfnN1ahZfFtp3ozxFl-MkFxr3NVXAiZWfKHNKYeUzPlZyl-3pUJhjNb4w03xW6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Burke County, NC","date","2025-08-12T16:52:56Z","article","The Burke County Opioid Advisory Committee on Aug. 1 reviewed proposals from providers selected through an RFP process and unanimously endorsed three programs to proceed to contracting with the county and later consideration by the Board of Commissioners.

The committee accepted department staff recommendations to move forward with: A Caring Alternative (proposal to establish Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program, SA IOP, and Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment, SACOT; requested up to $300,000), High Country Community Health (request shown on slides as $375,000 to expand low‑barrier MAT, outreach, and mobile harm‑reduction services), and SPARK Services and Programs (Family Centered Treatment Recovery pilot, fee‑for‑service model with a requested amount shown as up to $390,000). Committee staff said 11 proposals were received in the RFP window (June 13–July 11); four passed initial review and one (Good Samaritan Clinic) was removed for misalignment, leaving the three finalists.

Why the programs were recommended

County staff said the grants will be administered as performance‑based contracts so payments are tied to delivery of services and outcomes. Staff described three priorities guiding awards: reduce new onset of substance use, enhance pathways to recovery, and maintain reductions in overdose fatalities. The recommended projects were characterized as filling gaps in the county’s continuum: A Caring Alternative to provide partial‑hospitalization‑level care in‑county (the county currently has no provider offering SACOT inside Burke County); High Country to expand street‑based outreach, same/next‑day medication access and integrated supports; and SPARK to provide intensive in‑home family treatment to prevent foster‑care removals and speed reunification.

What each provider proposed

A Caring Alternative (presenters Tekken Brown, chief operations officer, and Renee Brackett, adult services director) described a program that would run SA IOP (three days, three hours per day) and SACOT (Monday–Friday, 20-plus hours per week), include medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), weekly urine drug screens, family counseling and peer support, and aim to launch groups within months. The proposal requested up to $300,000 and would operate on a fee‑for‑service model tied to milestones. The presenters said SA IOP sessions would run Monday, Wednesday and Friday with morning (9 a.m.–noon) and evening (5–8 p.m.) options; SACOT would run weekdays with daytime and evening groups.

High Country Community Health (Alice Salthouse, CEO; Thomas Wilson, interim grants director; Tim Nolan, adult nurse practitioner; and Dr. Tom Meek) outlined a street‑outreach model that provides rapid hepatitis C testing and on‑the‑spot Suboxone initiation, low‑barrier access to MAT, naloxone distribution, and connections to housing and enrollment specialists. High Country described plans to use settlement funds to hire a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a clinical pharmacist, a community resource advocate and to support enrollment specialists (two at 0.5 FTE each). High Country emphasized it already provides mobile outreach in multiple counties and that syringe‑service and other harm‑reduction measures are components of their engagement strategy.

SPARK Services and Programs (Terry Herman, senior vice president; Shanda Woody, mountain region VP) proposed Family Centered Treatment Recovery (FCTR), an intensive, in‑home family treatment model that SPARK said is designed to treat the child and the caregiver together, reduce foster‑care removals and accelerate reunification. SPARK’s proposal included $25,000 in startup costs, contingency management of up to $599 per family per year, a fee‑for‑service rate described as $200 per hour per family, and an initial target of 20 families in the first contract year. SPARK said it is actively pursuing Medicaid billing for FCTR to sustain the model beyond grant support.

Debate over harm reduction and medication distribution

A prominent thread in committee discussion centered on harm‑reduction tools—chiefly syringe services and low‑barrier MAT. One committee member said syringe exchanges could normalize injection drug use and risk increasing the number of users; several providers and clinicians responded that syringe services and naloxone distribution are public‑health measures that reduce transmission of bloodborne disease (hepatitis C, HIV), lower overdose deaths, and provide an essential engagement opportunity to link people into further care. Dr. Tom Meek and Tim Nolan described rapid HCV testing and immediate treatment and said giving sterile syringes is a “carrot” to build trust that can lead to clinicians delivering comprehensive care on subsequent contacts. Committee members asked for and received assurances about medication accountability and diversion prevention; a member proposed adding explicit contract language referencing SAMHSA diversion‑prevention guidance and monthly medication inventory reporting. Providers said they already operate under federal and state reporting rules (HRSA, SAMHSA) and pharmacy oversight and were open to contract terms that address inventory and auditing.

Staffing, metrics and sustainability

High Country listed specific positions the funds would support: a mid‑level behavioral health provider (LCSW or LCAS), a psychiatric nurse practitioner, partial support for an MOUD medical provider, a medical office assistant, a clinical pharmacist, a community resource advocate and two 0.5 FTE enrollment specialists. SPARK described training and certification requirements for FCTR practitioners and said the program’s evidence‑based metrics include rapid face‑to‑face response (within 48 hours of referral), a goal of 80% stabilization or reunification for families served, and measurable reductions in positive drug screens at 90 days. Staff said recommended providers will proceed to contracting and that contracts aim for September finalization and implementation to begin after that; staff also said endorsements will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners at the next board meeting scheduled for the coming week.

Votes and next steps

The committee made motions to endorse each program to proceed with contracting; each motion was seconded and approved by uplifted hands (members present signified their approval). Staff will proceed with contracting negotiations, incorporate any required contract language on medication accountability as agreed, and present contracts to the Board of Commissioners for final approval. The committee’s next regular meeting was scheduled for Sept. 16; staff also announced an Overdose Awareness Day memorial event on Aug. 30.

What to watch

- Contract details: presenters and committee members flagged a discrepancy between the amount shown on a High Country slide and a draft contract figure; staff said the draft total can be revisited during contracting.
- Performance metrics and reporting: contracts will include performance measures and reporting requirements tied to payment; committee members requested explicit diversion‑prevention language and monthly medication inventory/incident reporting.
- Access and equity: committee members pressed providers on how programs will reach rural and youth populations and how family‑centered services may reduce foster‑care removals; SPARK and others described referral pathways from DSS, juvenile justice and managed‑care partners.

Key quotes

\"This meeting was called as a time for us to be able to hear from the providers that submitted proposals for our very first RFP process,\" Dr. Katie Samuels said in opening remarks, outlining the timeline and next steps.

\"We go to where folks are ... and we meet them there with harm reduction, which is simply a carrot to engage them in care,\" Tim Nolan of High Country Community Health said, describing mobile outreach.

\"We will provide Family Centered Treatment Recovery to training in partnership with the Family Centered Treatment Foundation,\" SPARK’s presenter said, stressing certification requirements and an evidence‑based approach.

Ending

Committee endorsement does not equal final county funding; each recommended program will enter contracting negotiations with the county and any final agreements will be considered by the Burke County Board of Commissioners. The committee scheduled its next meeting for Sept. 16 and noted local Overdose Awareness Day events on Aug. 30.

Sources: Burke County Opioid Advisory Committee special meeting transcript and provider presentations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Opioid Advisory Committee Special Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Burke County Opioid Advisory Committee voted unanimously to endorse A Caring Alternative, High Country Community Health and SPARK to move forward to contracting for opioid-settlement funds. The meeting focused on establishing SA IOP/SACOT services, expanding low-barrier MAT and outreach, and piloting family-centered treatment recovery; members’","taxTitle","Burke County, North Carolina","taxId",51046,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6786933,"Burke County advisory committee endorses three opioid‑settlement programs for contracting",339,645840,985360,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed&start=645&end=985","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed/thumbnail_645840.jpg","/articles/6786933/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-advisory-committee-endorses-three-opioidsettlement-programs-for-contracting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786933-0159bb9a17bb8d778405bf0dd46175dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775285226&Signature=BWI8WTTcCtfSzxXL9F3pB6u~F56Nl5Fjkpvtn4rKqPEHVxXx3vJsTMxGshPlrNsTiNG40OEohNA-W389GhgTVe4-9dc8IifGwQERk0mCgqjB49yDATisPkTEIltmZDbbV2ghicu1WdigJcVejCH7Y1ghDkuoBSqeMLu7kleqLdH1VSEC05Z4ldzZSDetVg5W45hx0hq3qCL8GSVBumNlGtDpYc3A8WJ563lLvZGrQ8t6fseLtaq1mY-FyOLsI5750N6zALb6bb07MbuUS-2EjUuP8PwaF0sIs83pjnXNcKx-HBGiArplpo4mskGCR83bx35Celg6dd3Hmnq1pplijA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a special Burke County advisory committee meeting, members voted to endorse three programs selected through a recent RFP to use opioid‑settlement funds and authorized staff to proceed to contracting.

Dr. Katie Samuels, a county staff member who led the RFP process, told the committee the county received 11 proposals between June 13 and July 11 and that three vendors — A Caring Alternative, High Country Community Health and SPARK — passed internal and committee review. \"With your endorsement, we'll be able to take these proposals to the Board of Commission for final approval and start implementing some of these projects,\" Samuels said.

A Caring Alternative requested up to $300,000 to establish a Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment (SACOT) program and a Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program (SA IOP) inside Burke County. Tekken Brown, chief operations officer at A Caring Alternative, described the proposed schedule and staffing: SACOT would run five days a week and SA IOP would run three days a week with morning and evening groups. Brown said the county contract would include performance milestones and tracking: \"We're looking at two groups running by the end of month nine with a goal of one evening and one morning group per each service by the end of the year.\" Committee members pressed on transportation, eligibility, and what happens when clients miss sessions; Brown said peer support and assertive outreach would be used to re-engage participants.

High Country Community Health proposed expanding low‑barrier, street‑based outreach, rapid Suboxone initiation, Hepatitis C testing and treatment and hiring clinical staff including a psychiatric nurse practitioner and a clinical pharmacist. Alice Salthouse, High Country's CEO, said the organization is an FQHC eligible for public-insurance reimbursement and that the expansion is intended to be sustainable beyond settlement funding. \"Our model is already built to last and is sustainable,\" Salthouse said. Thomas Wilson, interim director for grants management, added the organization already provides MAT and field outreach and would use these funds to expand capacity and reduce any delay in service delivery.

SPARK proposed a Family Centered Treatment Recovery (FCTR) pilot to serve families where substance use is affecting child welfare outcomes. Terry Herman, SPARK's senior vice president for strategy and development, said the pilot would be a fee‑for‑service model with startup costs and training required by the Family Centered Treatment Foundation and a goal to serve 20 families in the first contract year. The program includes contingency management incentives and aims to make FCTR Medicaid‑billable within six to nine months.

During discussion, a committee member raised concerns that syringe‑exchange services could normalize drug use; Dr. Tom Meek and provider staff responded that harm‑reduction outreach, sterile needle provision and rapid linkage to treatment have public‑health benefits including reduced hepatitis C transmission and opportunities to engage people in care. \"There's risk in any type of treatment,\" Dr. Meek said. \"But to the best of my understanding ... it is a sterile needle that will have the impact to decrease the transmission of sharing, to decrease HIV, hepatitis C, etc.\" The transcript also records a slide/contract amount discrepancy for High Country that staff said they would revisit during contracting.

The committee then voted on motions to endorse each program and to proceed with contracting; for each motion the record shows uplifted‑hand votes with no opposed hands and the chair stated that \"that is all of us.\" The endorsements authorize county staff to draft and negotiate performance‑based contracts and return to the Board of Commissioners for final approval; Samuels said the Board consideration is expected next week and contracts could be finalized in September.

The advisory committee also highlighted an Overdose Awareness Day memorial on Aug. 30 and set the next committee meeting for Sept. 16. The transcript does not record detailed vote tallies by individual name, and contracting-level specifics (final award amounts and exact performance metrics) will be determined during the contracting process.","An advisory committee unanimously endorsed contracts for A Caring Alternative, High Country Community Health and SPARK to expand substance-use services in Burke County; staff will move the proposals to the Board of Commissioners for final approval and contracts are expected to be finalized in September.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":79,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":82,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6786928,"Burke County advisory committee backs three providers to expand substance-use services",6407,7053420,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5566424-9362bda29053b92cb5bef26011b180ed&start=645&end=7053","/articles/6786928/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-advisory-committee-backs-three-providers-to-expand-substance-use-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786928-a4bea2ef51e28a14ff41322020102722/orig.mp4?Expires=1775285226&Signature=R7L1oUILen-aVfQ889vdI12TxIBKsK6pvHjXVKTA5Yd-QQBrHBdzJp0H-AH61YlvQV2zD542A9XzITigPZrTM8BVReiwPb07fKNavr5mQaEhf~-Czl2jYeOgy5kMz97G5ICyYOmqSj~23eiN7fDavEMCNw6VocgvyNrSQYT0OSjUZpfQ6K-5B4RWvGDScrkmL1770YC6byi6UKNiv7sV4qZSommh6-d0JLO~ZhWtgS89St5YCz0UxfzDmAShuMVc33uBYhRTs-mf~P-OfdMl0KRD5uC4RIWZjSoq-3RMP0054ohyw-aEtJOSXZYexdGdDqiznRUIJe34MauuL3cQew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Burke County's opioid advisory committee on Aug. 1 heard detailed proposals from three local and regional providers and unanimously endorsed moving all three to contract negotiations with the county.

Dr. Katie Samuels, who led the meeting, framed the session as a final review after an internal and committee vetting process. \"This meeting was called as a time for us to be able to hear from the providers that submitted proposals for our very first RFP process,\" she said, noting the RFP was released June 13 and closed July 11.

The three programs recommended to proceed to contracting were:
- A Caring Alternative: up to $300,000 requested to establish Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment (SACOT) and Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program (SA IOP) inside Burke County, including morning and evening groups and medication-assisted treatment integrated with peer supports; presenters said the model will use performance-based, fee-for-service milestones. \"We will also have family counseling and training, biochemical urine drug screens on a weekly basis,\" said Renee Brackett, adult services director at A Caring Alternative.
- High Country Community Health: slide materials showed a $375,000 request for expanded low-barrier MAT, street outreach, rapid Hep C testing, mobile dispensing of Suboxone and hiring to increase clinical capacity. Alice Salthouse, High Country's CEO, said the federally qualified health center model and HRSA reimbursement pathways support long-term sustainability. County staff noted a discrepancy between the slide total and draft contract language and said they would revisit the total during contracting.
- SPARK Services: up to $390,000 sought to pilot Family Centered Treatment Recovery (FCTR) in Burke County, an intensive family-based model that pairs family therapy with peer supports and contingency management; SPARK aims to serve 20 families in the contract year while pursuing Medicaid billing authorization. Terry Herman, SPARK's senior vice president, said the program would focus on rapid face-to-face engagement within 48 hours of referral.

Presenters emphasized performance measures and sustainability. High Country staff said the organization is already billing public insurance and expects initial settlement funding to expand capacity but not create long-term dependence on one-time funds. \"This investment is not meant to disappear whenever the settlement dollars do,\" a High Country presenter said.

The meeting included a substantive debate over harm-reduction practices. A committee member warned that syringe exchange might normalize injection and \"potentially increase the amount of people that are actually using.\" Clinicians from High Country and others defended harm reduction as a public-health tool to reduce transmission of HIV and hepatitis C and to engage people in treatment. Dr. Tom Meek, who described ethical ambivalence before working in outreach, said: \"What in the h*** am I doing? I'm going to give these people needles.\" He continued that, from a public-health perspective, sterile needles decrease transmission and create a bridge to further care.

Committee members also pressed programs on operational details: how missed sessions would be handled, staffing credentials (LCAS and CADC were cited for clinical roles), space and scheduling for concurrent groups, tracking and diversion-prevention measures for MAT dispensing, and contingency plans if Medicaid coverage did not materialize. High Country described an in-house pharmacy and reporting systems; a committee member suggested adding contract language requiring adherence to SAMHSA diversion-prevention guidance and inventory reporting; presenters said federal and state oversight and existing reporting obligations cover much of that and that staffing for constant inventory audits might be impractical but that they are open to contract terms during negotiation.

The committee passed motions, by uplifted hands, to endorse A Caring Alternative, High Country Community Health and SPARK to proceed with contracting; the chair clarified the motions were to proceed to contracting rather than final awards. Staff said endorsed proposals will be taken to the Board of Commissioners at its next meeting and that contracts would be finalized in September if approved. The advisory committee's next meeting was set for Sept. 16.

The endorsements authorize staff to negotiate performance-based contracts that tie payment to agreed milestones and outcome metrics; final approval rests with the Burke County Board of Commissioners.","After presentations and questions about harm reduction and Medicaid sustainability, the Burke County advisory committee voted to endorse contracting with A Caring Alternative, High Country Community Health and SPARK to expand treatment, outreach and family-centered recovery services funded through the county's opioid settlement process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Burke County advisory committee endorses three opioid-settlement programs; backs harm-reduction and family recovery pilots

Burke County advisory committee endorses three opioid‑settlement programs for contracting

Burke County advisory committee backs three providers to expand substance-use services