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County shifts counseling services for VIPER recovery program to Jewish Family & Children’s Services after provider staffing shortage
Summary
County health staff authorized Jewish Family & Children’s Services to assume the substance‑abuse counseling curriculum for the VIPER residential program after the prior contractor said it could not staff the work; the board approved the contract amendment unanimously.
The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners approved a human-services contract amendment on May 5 that allows Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) to assume the substance-abuse counseling curriculum for the county’s VIPER (Voluntary Interim Program Enhanced Recovery) residential program for the remainder of fiscal 2025.
Chuck Henry, director of Health and Human Services, told the board that LightShare, the previous curriculum provider, informed the county it could no longer staff the daily three‑hour residential curriculum and had opted to exit the contract after a corrective-action discussion in mid‑April. VIPER is a roughly ten‑week residential substance‑use treatment program followed by a year of wraparound services; county staff said the program fills an essential role for local treatment capacity.
JFCS, which already provides wraparound services and case management in VIPER, offered available clinical staff and agreed to take on the counseling curriculum. County staff said no additional county funding was requested; the amendment reallocates existing program funds so JFCS would be reimbursed for the counseling services that LightShare had been contracted to supply.
Commissioners praised the program and cited examples of participants who completed VIPER and achieved long-term recovery. Board members voted unanimously to authorize the contract amendment and asked staff to ensure continuity of services for current and upcoming VIPER cohorts.
Why it matters: VIPER provides residential substance-use treatment for Sarasota County residents and the program coordinator and participant speakers said it has a high impact on people’s recovery trajectories. The sudden contractor staffing shortfall could have disrupted ongoing treatment if a replacement were not found quickly.
What’s next: County staff and JFCS will execute the contract amendment and oversee clinical staffing so current VIPER participants do not lose access to the daily counseling curriculum; commissioners asked staff to report any material changes to program delivery.
