Henry County health staff asked commissioners on Oct. 22 to approve using opioid-restricted funds to sustain and expand staff for the county’s Jail Recovery Assistance Program (JRAP), proposing a one-year budget that would cover the JRAP program director at current pay, expand a community health worker and peer recovery coach to full-time and add a part-time licensed clinical social worker.

The health department said federal and state officials clarified that salaries for clinicians can be paid from the restricted side of the opioid settlement funds and that the JRAP program fits the restricted funding attachment being discussed by state agencies.

“Both Douglas and Shelby agreed that it totally fits the attachment A… where we have more money,” the health official said of conversations with state representatives and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) staff. The health official identified Douglas Hunsinger (executive director of ICJI) and Shelby Thomas (director of public affairs and substance use policy) as participants in that clarification.

The department said the 2025 JRAP director salary is currently covered by existing health funds (HFI money) and that for 2026 the department seeks to cover the position using opioid-restricted funding. Staff said they are preparing a one-year budget and job descriptions to be finalized with the county auditor and HR. The program is one of two JRAP programs still operating in Indiana, the health official said.

Commissioners asked how much restricted funding is available and whether competing projects will claim the same dollars. Staff replied they do not have a fixed total for restricted dollars immediately available and that the amounts can fluctuate; staff said Shelby Thomas and others are assembling guidance and education for local officials and that the county has a spreadsheet tracking allocations.

No formal appropriation or vote to commit opioid-restricted dollars was recorded at the Oct. 22 meeting. Staff asked for initial permission to proceed with planning and to return with finalized budget figures and job descriptions.

The health official also described gaps in local outpatient services encountered when trying to place a client who wanted to taper off medication-assisted treatment, arguing that jail-based recovery services coupled with a licensed clinician improve outcomes for program participants transitioning to community care.