E2 Recovery Ministry outlines recovery services and asks committee to accept formal application

An E2 Recovery Ministry representative described ongoing recovery services in Houston County and asked the advisory committee how to proceed with a formal funding request; the committee told the representative to complete the standardized application and return it to the mayor's office for consideration. "We are, a recovery ministry. We focus on mental health and substance because they absolutely correlate," the E2 representative said, summarizing the group's mission. The representative said E2 has provided detox referrals, treatment placements, sober-living placements and case management and that the organization had operated transitional living homes in the past. The applicant said the group can provide licensed trauma-informed counseling (in-person and virtual), certified peer recovery specialists and youth-focused programming. The representative said they have relationships with treatment centers and with Centerstone and that they can help clients enroll for insurance and access services. Possible uses for county funds discussed included office space, laptops and supplies for GED and workforce training, food for participants during programming and support for teen mental-health first-aid training in schools. Committee members reminded the applicant that any request must meet settlement Exhibit E qualifications and that applicants will be required to provide budgets, receipts and periodic reports. The E2 representative was given a sample application at the meeting and told to return a completed application to the mayor's office for the committee's recommendation to the County Commission. No funding decision was made at the meeting. The representative stressed local coordination, saying they want to work with the sheriff's office, schools and the health department and that regional partners may provide additional support. The committee noted that some services (for example, GED classes) may be funded by workforce programs and that county funds could be used for complementary costs, such as computers and meals during training. Next steps: E2 will complete the standardized application and submit supporting documents; the committee will review and forward a recommendation to the County Commission after the county attorney reviews contract language.