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Board OKs $875,000 opioid-settlement funded MOU to expand substance-use diversion clerk support in Placer County Superior Court
Summary
Supervisors approved a five-year MOU providing $875,000 from opioid settlement funds to pay for a senior clerk position to support collaborative treatment and diversion courts; the position will track cases, support judicial officers, and liaise with treatment partners.
Placer County supervisors voted Oct. 14 to approve a five-year memorandum of understanding with the Placer County Superior Court totaling $875,000 to fund a senior clerk position that will support collaborative treatment and diversion courts.
Details of the MOU: County staff said the $875,000 allocation (five years at $175,000 per year) will be funded with opioid settlement dollars and will support one senior clerk. The MOU allows for amendments up to $87,500 with concurrence of county counsel and risk management.
Role of the senior clerk: County presenters said the position will review case files and court case management systems, ensure completeness of records, maintain the court's program tracker for treatment and collaborative court participants, act as a liaison with co-appointed doctors and mental-health partners, and provide reporting and data to the Judicial Council as requested.
Why it matters: The superior court operates multiple collaborative treatment courts (veterans court, drug court, mental health court, Proposition 36 court and community court) that provide alternatives to incarceration. The clerk position is intended to streamline court operations and support diversion of people with substance use disorders into treatment.
Board action: The board approved the MOU and authorized the county executive officer to sign the agreement. The measure passed without recorded opposition.
Funding context: County staff noted that Placer County has received about $13.88 million in opioid-settlement allocations to date and that settlement dollars must be spent on prevention, treatment, recovery and related activities under applicable agreements and state oversight.
Next steps: If approved, the county executive officer will execute the agreement and the court will onboard the senior clerk; the county will monitor usage of settlement funds in accord with state guidance.
