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Douglas County approves opioid-settlement grants: $100,000 to Valley Hope, $567,070 to HardBeauty peer-support initiatives
Summary
The Board approved a $100,000 contract to Valley Hope of Parker and two awards totaling $567,070 for HardBeauty’s peer support initiative (a $340,422.14 regional grant and a $226,647.76 state infrastructure grant), funded from regional and state opioid-abatement sources; all votes were unanimous.
The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to award opioid-settlement funds to local recovery providers, approving a $100,000 public contract to Valley Hope of Parker and awarding combined grants to HardBeauty LLC to expand peer recovery services.
Valley Hope of Parker: The board approved a $100,000 public contract for services recommended by the Region 12 Opioid Council to help pay for sober-living placements for patients with documented financial need. Maureen Waller, special projects manager, told the board that sober living in Douglas County averages about $1,100 a month and that Valley Hope’s fund is frequently depleted; the grant is intended to help "at least 90 low income residents successfully transition from treatment into stable recovery," she said. Rebecca Bresson, Valley Hope, described inpatient treatment as "the first step in a very long and lifelong journey" and said the contract funds will help link patients to housing and community supports after treatment.
HardBeauty peer support initiative: The board also approved two linked awards for HardBeauty’s peer recovery program: a Region 12 allocation of $340,422.14 (local opioid-settlement funds) and a $226,647.76 award from the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council infrastructure grant program, for a combined investment of $567,070. The funds will place peer recovery coaches at the county jail and at Sky Ridge Medical Center to provide jail-based recovery support, bedside assistance in emergency departments, discharge planning, and connections to long-term care. Raquel Garcia, HardBeauty founder, said the initiative employs people with lived experience and provides peer bedside support to people in crisis.
Officials described the funding sources and process: the county serves as fiscal agent for Region 12 and applied for the state infrastructure grant because local governments are the eligible applicants for that competitive program; the county has received the statewide grant funds and the board approved turning them over to HardBeauty. Maureen Waller said the state call received 46 applicants and 12 awards; HardBeauty was successful in that competition.
Several municipal and nonprofit leaders spoke in support of the awards. Parker Mayor Joshua Rivera and Castle Pines councilman Roger Hudson praised Valley Hope and the regional opioid-council process. The board approved the Valley Hope contract and both HardBeauty awards in separate motions; each motion carried unanimously by voice vote.
The board indicated that the opioid council will continue to prioritize allocations and that the county will act as fiscal agent for future region and statewide infrastructure grants.
