Escambia advisory board approves Waterfront Mission scope change, sets 2025 funding timeline

The Escambia County Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board on Thursday approved a change to Waterfront Mission’s scope of work, reviewed progress reports from current awardees and confirmed a timeline to release the next notice of funding availability on June 5, 2025, with applications due Sept. 12, 2025.

The action to amend Waterfront Mission’s grant request followed the organization’s request to shift from building new construction to purchasing and renovating an existing property. Marcus Bell, vice president for PR and development at Waterfront Mission, said after contractor and engineering estimates “the cost per square footage had just even increased dramatically” and that the group had identified two properties near its current units that it is negotiating to acquire. “That’s our scope of work change request,” Bell said.

The change-of-scope motion was made, seconded and approved by the advisory board. The board did not provide a roll-call vote in the meeting transcript; the vote was recorded as approving the request.

Why this matters: The board reported it has received a total of $5,369,663.88 in opioid abatement funds to date; an additional distribution of $1,334,395.39 arrived in January. Of the total, $1,667,629.89 was identified as available to obligate for new awards. The board’s schedule sets the next funding round to open in June and close Sept. 12, giving applicants roughly three months to apply.

Board staff said all current agreements are drafted and either executed or pending final signatures. Two community partners — Ministry Village and Community Health Northwest Florida — have fully executed agreements and have started initial activities tied to their awards, staff said. Waterfront Mission’s contract will be amended following the board’s approval and will be returned to the Board of County Commissioners for signature.

Program updates presented to the board described service delivery and operational challenges and how awardees plan to use their funds. Joey Kerwin, Escambia County EMS, said the county’s pre-hospital care program has evaluated about 326 patients and transitioned 285 into follow-up care: “A hundred and 94 of those have gone with Community Health Northwest Florida, 75 with Lakeview, 11 more have gone through detox, and 5 have gone through other programs throughout the state.” Kerwin and Community Health credited coordinated pathways between EMS, the waterfront clinic and primary providers for improving continuity of care.

Walter Arrington of Community Health Northwest Florida reported 216 active core patients in the program and described the waterfront clinic as a “walk-in” resource that helps bridge missed appointments and reduce pressure on EMS. Arrington also detailed expansions in services such as Hep C and HIV care, deployment of mobile medical units concentrated in ZIP code 32505 and hiring of a nurse navigator to support care coordination.

Drayton Smith of Ministry Village said civil engineering and topographical work are underway and that the organization has secured a building contractor; Ministry Village’s existing capacity is 22 beds and the group estimates the grant would increase capacity to about 50 beds. Patty Hyde, director of family-based intervention services at Lakeview (introduced as “LATE” in the report), said Lakeview’s youth program, Adolescence in Motion (AIM), is hiring and preparing systems and staff but has not yet drawn on abatement funds. Cindy McLaughlin, program manager for specialty programs at Lakeview Center, said Lakeview has not yet begun using abatement funds because a prior SAMHSA grant runs through May; Lakeview will begin using abatement funds after SAMHSA funding ends and is tracking distributions of Narcan, fentanyl test strips and client testing and education in jails.

Denise Manassas of CDAC Behavioral Health Care said she is organizing a provider networking luncheon on April 15 to connect local and regional providers, law enforcement and other partners; the event is intended to improve referral capacity and clarify which providers accept which insurance types.

On reimbursement and reporting, staff told awardees and advisory board members that the county’s grants are administered on a reimbursement basis. Staff explained the county can reimburse in smaller increments — for example, monthly submissions — so smaller nonprofits are not required to front an entire award before receiving any payment. Staff also said, once agreements are executed and the partners begin spending funds, the board will require awardees to provide a budget and periodic reports that detail how abatement funds were used.

The board voted to continue the current implementation plan priorities — treatment and recovery, prevention and criminal justice — for fiscal 2025–26. The board also approved the proposed June 5 release date for the notice of funding availability and the Sept. 12 application deadline, and directed staff to include clarifying language in the NOFA about reimbursement increments.

The board scheduled its next meeting in June; staff said specific dates will be circulated and confirmed if agenda items require earlier action.

Details that were not specified in the meeting record include the final dollar amounts that will be allocated to individual awardees in the new cycle and a roll-call vote listing by-name votes on the Waterfront Mission motion. The board indicated it will bring Waterfront Mission’s amended contract to the Board of County Commissioners for formal signature.

For follow-up: staff said they will place amended contracts on the county commission agenda and will advertise the NOFA via press releases and a nonprofit mailing list.