Burke County approves opioid-settlement spending to fund response teams, treatment contracts

The Burke County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 19 approved a package of opioid-settlement strategies that funds a county-led response team, expands naloxone distribution and pays three local providers to increase treatment capacity.

County Manager Brian Eppley and a public-health presenter, identified in the meeting as Dr. Samuels, told commissioners the plan combines a county-operated rapid response and outreach team with contracts for community treatment to lower overdoses and connect people to care. Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the county-led resolution and then unanimously approved contracts totaling $957,305 with three providers.

The county-led strategy adopted by the board funds a 24/7 PORT team that the presenter described as including “4 community paramedics and 4 peer support specialists,” plus a peer community navigator to coordinate handoffs with hospitals, law enforcement and social services, and continued naloxone distribution (the presenter noted an existing naloxone vending machine in Valdez). “We want to keep that naloxone flowing in the community, in the schools, in the jails, and wherever we can put it,” Dr. Samuels said during the presentation.

The board also approved provider-led contracts designed to expand local treatment options. The motion authorized the county manager to execute three contracts: $300,000 with A Caring Alternative for intensive outpatient programs (listed in the proposals as SAICOT and SAIOP), $267,305 with High Country Community Health to expand low-barrier medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and $390,000 with Spark for family-centered treatment with peer supports. Dr. Samuels told the board the advisory committee reviewed proposals from 11 applicants, recommended three for immediate funding and placed others in a “revisit” tier; she said the opioid advisory committee gave unanimous endorsement to the three recommended strategies.

Commissioners and county staff framed the opioid strategies as tied to foster-care pressures in Burke County. County Manager Brian Eppley reviewed local foster-care data earlier in the meeting and said the county has a higher-than-average number of children in care and long stays before permanency. Eppley highlighted links between substance use and child-welfare involvement, saying about “76 percent of the children in our care come from homes that have substance abuse” and noting the county’s efforts to align recovery services with child-welfare needs. Dr. Samuels and Eppley both described the provider contracts and the PORT outreach team as complementary: the PORT team will identify and engage individuals after overdoses and the contracted providers will receive referrals and provide sustained treatment options.

The motions were made without named seconds in the public record and passed on show-of-hands votes recorded by the clerk as 4–0 for both the county-led resolution (resolution 2025-25) and the provider-contract resolution (resolution 2025-24). The motion approving provider contracts explicitly authorized the county manager to execute documents “subject to review and or revision by the county manager county attorney,” and the board approved that authorization.

County staff outlined performance expectations the county will use to monitor the contracts, including outcome metrics and implementation milestones. Dr. Samuels said the county built time-bound milestones and a fee-for-service element into the contracts so “we're not paying for anything that's not happening.” She also said the provider contracts and the county-led team were chosen to address three goals listed by staff: reduce new onset of use, enhance pathways to recovery, and reduce fatalities.

Commissioners praised the advisory committee and the work of local partners during discussion. One commissioner commented that this initiative was among the most important steps the board could take to make a rapid, positive difference in the community; another commissioner thanked committee members and community volunteers who helped shape the recommendations.

Implementation and next steps described during the meeting include: contracting and an expectation that providers will report to the opioid advisory committee (contracts include reporting requirements), coordination between the PORT team and provider organizations for warm handoffs, and continuing naloxone distribution in the community. The county manager and staff signaled intent to move quickly on contracting and to return periodic performance updates to the advisory committee and the board.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 2025-25 (county-led opioid settlement strategies): Approved 4–0. Key provisions: fund a 24/7 PORT team (4 community paramedics, 4 peer support specialists), a peer community navigator, and continued naloxone distribution. Mover/second: not specified in the public record. Outcome: approved. - Resolution 2025-24 (provider-led contracts and approvals): Approved 4–0. Contracts authorized: A Caring Alternative $300,000; High Country Community Health $267,305; Spark $390,000. Motion authorized county manager to execute contracts subject to legal review. Mover/second: not specified in the public record. Outcome: approved.

Why this matters: County leaders cited overlapping public-health and child-welfare needs — particularly substance use disorders and a high rate of children entering foster care — as the rationale for prioritizing rapid outreach and expanded local treatment. The measures combine an emergency-response and outreach capacity with expanded treatment availability and formal performance metrics intended to track whether settlement funds are translating into increased treatment engagement and fewer fatalities.

What the meeting record does not show: The board-approved motions do not specify long-term funding beyond the settlement dollars, nor do the motions themselves guarantee specific patient-level outcomes; commissioners and staff said providers will report performance to the opioid advisory committee and that contracts include milestones and metrics.