Burke County advisory committee endorses three opioid-settlement programs; backs harm-reduction and family recovery pilots

The Burke County Opioid Advisory Committee on Aug. 1 reviewed proposals from providers selected through an RFP process and unanimously endorsed three programs to proceed to contracting with the county and later consideration by the Board of Commissioners.

The committee accepted department staff recommendations to move forward with: A Caring Alternative (proposal to establish Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program, SA IOP, and Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment, SACOT; requested up to $300,000), High Country Community Health (request shown on slides as $375,000 to expand low‑barrier MAT, outreach, and mobile harm‑reduction services), and SPARK Services and Programs (Family Centered Treatment Recovery pilot, fee‑for‑service model with a requested amount shown as up to $390,000). Committee staff said 11 proposals were received in the RFP window (June 13–July 11); four passed initial review and one (Good Samaritan Clinic) was removed for misalignment, leaving the three finalists.

Why the programs were recommended

County staff said the grants will be administered as performance‑based contracts so payments are tied to delivery of services and outcomes. Staff described three priorities guiding awards: reduce new onset of substance use, enhance pathways to recovery, and maintain reductions in overdose fatalities. The recommended projects were characterized as filling gaps in the county’s continuum: A Caring Alternative to provide partial‑hospitalization‑level care in‑county (the county currently has no provider offering SACOT inside Burke County); High Country to expand street‑based outreach, same/next‑day medication access and integrated supports; and SPARK to provide intensive in‑home family treatment to prevent foster‑care removals and speed reunification.

What each provider proposed

A Caring Alternative (presenters Tekken Brown, chief operations officer, and Renee Brackett, adult services director) described a program that would run SA IOP (three days, three hours per day) and SACOT (Monday–Friday, 20-plus hours per week), include medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), weekly urine…