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Council approves opioid‑funded social worker hire and MOU with First Choice Services
Summary
Clarksburg council approved a resolution to hire a social worker using opioid settlement funds and approved a memorandum of understanding with First Choice Services to coordinate police referrals; the meeting record contains a garbled dollar figure for the hire.
The Clarksburg City Council approved two items aimed at expanding behavioral‑health supports linked to police response: a resolution to hire a social worker (or similar employee) funded from opioid settlement funds, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with First Choice Services to coordinate services with the police department.
The council passed the resolution by voice vote. The meeting minutes read the spending amount as “in an amount not to exceed 53,652 hundred and 86¢,” a phrase that appears garbled in the record; the transcript did not provide a clear numeric total. Council members described the hire as a way to give officers access to a social‑service professional on calls involving substance use or mental‑health crises and to divert people into treatment instead of incarceration.
Councilman Ward said the position “doesn’t cost the City of Clarksburg anything because it comes straight from the opioid fund” and described the role as an opportunity to route people to treatment rather than jail. A separate MOU with First Choice Services also passed; council members described that agreement as part of creating pathways to treatment alongside a new rehabilitation center outside of town.
The council record contains no roll‑call votes or hiring contract in the meeting transcript; implementation steps and the precise salary or contract amount were not stated clearly during the meeting and require follow up by city staff.
