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Commissioners approve RAISE outreach contract and authorize PrimeCare MAT induction for county jail; PrimeCare vote splits 2–1
Summary
The board approved two opioid-settlement contracts proposed by the county commission on drug and alcohol abuse: a capped RAISE Project outreach contract and a larger PrimeCare Medical contract to permit MAT induction in the county jail. The PrimeCare motion passed 2–1.
At the Lebanon County Board of Commissioners meeting, James Don Moyer, executive director of the county Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, sought and won approval for two contracts funded from the county's opioid-settlement proceeds.
Moyer described the first contract as a RAISE Project agreement to provide opioid-use-disorder outreach workers who will meet people "where they're at" to connect them with treatment, recovery and social supports. The RAISE contract is capped at $25,000 per year for 13 years (total $325,000) and will replace a provider that ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The board approved that contract by voice vote.
On the second contract, Moyer asked the board to approve a PrimeCare Medical agreement to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services in the county correctional facility. The county already maintains MAT for inmates who arrive to jail on an existing MAT regimen; the new contract covers MAT induction (starting MAT for eligible inmates while incarcerated). Moyer framed the expansion as necessary to meet legal obligations resulting from litigation and Department of Justice interpretations of disability law. He stated the PrimeCare induction contract would be $150,000 per year for 13 years (total $1,950,000).
Commission discussion included a question about how many outreach workers the RAISE funding would support; Moyer replied it likely funds one person present locally one day per week (coverage shared across neighboring counties). On PrimeCare, commissioners referenced federal disability-law requirements that have resulted in court rulings requiring MAT availability in county jails.
The PrimeCare motion passed on a 2–1 vote. One commissioner explicitly recorded opposition during the roll call; the transcript records the outcome as "2 to 1 split vote" with the motion carrying.
Ending: The contracts will be funded from opioid-settlement proceeds; staff said the RAISE contract restores pre-COVID outreach capacity and PrimeCare expands in-custody addiction treatment options aligned with legal obligations.
