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Beaufort County expands prevention, peer support and harm reduction with opioid settlement funds
Summary
Tiffany Moore, Beaufort County Health Department behavioral health task force coordinator, says county programs funded by the opioid settlement — peer support specialists, school education, harm reduction and diversion services — aim to reduce overdoses and connect people to treatment.
Tiffany Moore, executive director of Beaufort County 360 and behavioral health task force coordinator, described how Beaufort County is using opioid settlement money to expand prevention, peer support and harm-reduction services.
The county chose the settlement's "option B," Moore said, which requires collaborative strategic planning and community input. "It's over 18 years," she said of the settlement payout, and the county's current strategic plan was adopted in 2022; Moore said stakeholder engagement and a plan update are scheduled ahead of the plan's September 2026 review.
Moore said the county has funded peer support specialists and made them available across local service providers. "Those peer supports we have two, both a male and a female," she said, noting agencies across Beaufort County can call on them. Moore said peer supports provide care navigation, practical help and a relatable model of recovery for people who might not respond to clinical outreach.
Prevention work includes a substance-misuse educator who visits middle schools to explain risks and how to use Narcan. "If you take a pill, there is no guarantee you're taking what you thought you were taking," Moore said, underscoring the prevalence of counterfeit pills and the dangers of fentanyl-laced products.
The settlement money has also supported microgrants for small community projects intended to broaden access to funds for organizations that do not regularly sit at the task force table. Moore said those grants are designed to reach South Side neighborhoods and other areas with fewer resources.
Harm-reduction work has included distributing Narcan, wound-care kits and clean supplies and running outreach events and an outreach center to put Narcan and hygiene kits into communities. "We will have Narcan on hand," Moore said when describing upcoming community events that also will share crisis resources such as the 988 hotline.
Moore highlighted diversion programs and the county's recovery court as alternatives to incarceration for people with substance-use disorders, saying those wraparound services reduce recidivism and help people access treatment. She also said some local justice-system metrics show change: "Our overdose deaths are going rates are going down," Moore said, while characterizing that as a trend the task force is monitoring.
Moore urged broad community engagement and pointed listeners to public resources: the Beaufort County 360 page and BC Data 360 on the county website contain data and scorecards; the behavioral health task force meets monthly (third Tuesday, 10 a.m.-noon at Harvest Church); and the task force produces a Riverfront Talk podcast that shares recovery stories.
For individuals seeking help, Moore recommended contacting peer support specialists or the task force and offered a referral line she uses: (252) 940-4239. She said new microgrant awards and stakeholder-engagement sessions will be announced soon as the county prepares to revisit its strategic plan.
