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Shasta County OKs $4 million youth opioid-prevention initiative, sets reporting checks
Summary
The Board authorized a coordinated youth opioid-prevention program led by CORE with an initial two-year funding commitment and required biannual reporting and an 18‑month evaluation before extending the contract.
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously March 18 to direct staff to negotiate a memorandum of understanding and contract to fund a community-driven youth opioid prevention initiative coordinated by CORE (Stronger Together for a Substance-Free Shasta).
The program presented by Amanda Faith, Jenna Berry (Raising Shasta) and others called for multi-pronged work: a community awareness and education campaign, school- and community-based mentoring, parent education, and targeted early-intervention services for youth involved with substances. The presenters proposed year‑one funding of about $1.5 million, followed by roughly $1.0 million in years two and three and $750,000 in year four. Board members said they would initially authorize the first two years and requested performance checks before committing the later years.
Board members emphasized measurable goals and oversight. Supervisor Plummer and others pressed the presenters on administrative overhead, data collection and evaluation methods; CORE said it would centralize evaluation and standardize survey instruments to track outcomes. The board amended the staff direction to require twice‑a‑year updates to the Board (the first informational update scheduled for August) and an 18‑month evaluation checkpoint that would inform whether the contract’s remaining two‑year extension would be approved.
The motion that passed includes authorization for staff to prepare a two‑year contract with an option to extend two additional years, explicit reporting requirements, and direction that the parties work to sharpen measurable goal worksheets. County counsel said the contract could be structured as a two‑year agreement with a two‑year extension and appropriate termination clauses.
Supporters, including community partners and school superintendents, said the program would fill gaps in rural areas, expand mentoring and early intervention, and help coordinate data collection across multiple agencies. Some public commenters urged the Board to allocate funds first to organizations already delivering services and to ensure grant-match strategies were honored. The Board directed staff to return with contract documents and bring the item back as a regular agenda item for final approval.
