Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Opioid Settlement Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cabarrus County amends opioid settlement plan, approves therapy dog for EMS mental wellness
Summary
Commissioners approved changes to opioid settlement Option B funding and adopted a strategy to fund a therapy dog and related training for EMS staff to address secondary trauma; presenters said the county reduced two previously approved amounts and added a new EMS-focused strategy before the settlement deadline.
Cabarrus County commissioners on June 2 approved amendments to the county's opioid settlement plan and adopted a new Option B strategy to support EMS staff mental wellness, including funding certified therapy training for a department dog.
Elise Pugh told the board that, under the North Carolina memorandum of agreement on opioid settlements, the county had a deadline to make changes to Option B strategies and asked commissioners to adopt amendments and an addition tonight. She said the county proposes to reduce two previously approved Option B strategy amounts that address services for pregnant or parenting women and their families from $1,840,000 to $1,674,000, "since we do not need as much as we originally thought we needed for that strategy." Pugh asked that the board suspend rules and vote that evening because of the deadline.
Deputy Chief Kara Clark, Cabarrus County EMS, described the new Option B strategy as a mental-wellness program for EMS employees who experience secondary trauma from frequent opioid-overdose responses. "We are trying to do this strategy because it is for the mental wellness for EMS employees who have experienced secondary trauma related to opioid overdoses," Clark said. Clark highlighted county overdose response data showing Narcan administrations documented by EMS fell from 116 patients in 2021 to 33 in the first quarter of 2025, and noted the county currently funds MAT (medication-assisted treatment) community paramedic work with opioid-settlement dollars.
Clark presented "Bingo," a 9-month-old Aussiedoodle that the department proposes to certify as a therapeutic support canine for EMS staff. She said the requested funding is approximately $4,000 to cover Bingo's certification and continuous training; veterinary care, food, and other pet expenses would not be funded by the settlement dollars. Commissioners voted to suspend the rules and adopt the related resolution and funding tonight.
Why it matters: Opioid settlement dollars are restricted by state agreements and are intended to fund local prevention, treatment and recovery services. The board's action reallocates some previously approved amounts and adds funding targeted at first-responder mental health.
The presenters emphasized that opioid settlement money "are not taxpayer dollars," but private settlement proceeds distributed through state agreements from manufactures and distributors. Commissioners adopted the amendments and the new EMS-focused Option B strategy during the June 2 meeting to meet the settlement deadline.
