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Oakland County opioid settlement committee outlines priorities and requests initial funding for clinical upgrades, FTIR testing and resource directory
Summary
County health and human services staff briefed the finance committee on opioid settlement priorities—staffing/infrastructure, harm reduction, warm handoffs and prevention—and requested funding to upgrade a nurse position to a nurse practitioner, buy an FTIR drug‑testing device and build a public resource directory.
Deputy County Executive Madiha Tarek summarized the opioid settlement steering committee’s work and priorities and said the committee includes health systems, law enforcement, people with lived experience, schools and unions. She said the committee is “very diverse” and is prioritizing evidence‑based, sustainable strategies.
Barb Henke, director of public services, said the committee reviewed the federal settlement “exhibit e” abatement strategies and prioritized enhancing staffing and infrastructure, expanding harm reduction, improving warm handoffs into treatment, and boosting prevention efforts. She said the committee wants investments that build long‑term capacity rather than one‑time grants that stop when money runs out.
Leanne Stafford, director of Health and Human Services, described three specific funding requests to be paid from opioid settlement dollars: (1) upgrade an existing nursing position to a nurse practitioner at the county’s downtown Pontiac clinic to provide wound care, manage chronic conditions and facilitate treatment starts (the county would pay most of the position cost and the opioid funds would cover the upgrade delta); (2) purchase an FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) handheld analyzer to test suspected drug residue in the field, allowing faster community education and response to dangerous adulterants; and (3) develop a publicly accessible, web‑based resource directory of treatment, harm‑reduction and prevention services for residents and providers.
Commissioners supported site visits and requested follow‑up details. Commissioner Spitz asked whether opioid settlement funds would be used long term to keep the upgraded clinician position; Stafford said the county would cover the base nurse position and request opioid funds to pay the upgrade differential each year. Commissioners also asked about location, software integration, and possible moves of the downtown clinic to accommodate expanded services. The committee did not take a final appropriation vote on the full slate; staff said further details and formal appropriation requests will return to the board.
