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Casper opioid task force favors one‑year pilots, reserves funds for future cycles
Summary
Task force members told council they recommend one‑year pilot awards from local opioid settlement dollars (roughly $3 million available between city and county), reserving a portion of funds for future cycles and emphasizing evidence‑based programming and sustainability.
Casper’s opioid task force briefed the City Council during a Dec. 9 work session on proposed allocations from local opioid settlement dollars and recommended limiting most awards to one year to pilot programs and conserve funding for future rounds.
Councilor Kyle Gamroth and task force representatives said the group arrived at the recommendation after reviewing proposals and the limited local pool — “roughly just under $3,000,000” available from the city and county — and judged a one‑year pilot approach would allow testing of novel concepts while reserving about one‑third of the funds for later use. The task force emphasized proposals should be evidence‑based; members said they relied on clinical review from subject matter expert Carol King and referenced SAMHSA guidance when evaluating treatment and prevention proposals.
Committee members discussed specific proposals that would span treatment, prevention and recovery supports. For a multi‑partner Natrona United effort the approach would be a block‑grant held by the health department with reporting conditions; Central Wyoming Counseling Center described plans to expand medication‑assisted treatment and move to five‑day services at the Kindgrounds facility. The task force said proposed agreements will include reporting requirements so council can evaluate outcomes before committing additional funds.
Council asked operational questions — transportation for clients, how proposals would sustain programs after seed funding runs out, and whether proposals included hiring dedicated staff. Task force members said some proposals hinged on hiring roles the city could not guarantee (for example a dedicated police officer) and that those elements reduced feasibility. Several council members praised the joint proposals and cross‑agency warm‑handoff plans while stressing the need for measurable performance metrics.
Next steps: If council remains supportive, staff will prepare funding agreements with reporting requirements for formal adoption at a future business meeting.
