San Juan County Board of Health highlights co‑response pilot, peer support and opioid‑recovery pilots

San Juan County Board of Health members on Feb. 18 received detailed briefings on a set of behavioral‑health initiatives meant to expand crisis response and recovery supports across the islands.

The most immediate item is a co‑response pilot being readied for contract: the model places a single co‑responder (a behavioral‑health staff member) to work closely with the sheriff’s office but be employed and managed by an outside organization, North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (BHASO). Presenters said the co‑responder would respond in a dedicated vehicle when deputies identify a behavioral‑health‑related call, then provide aftercare and case management so deputies can return to other duties.

"Having someone on‑site who can sit there and level with the person and say, you know, I understand — and how can we get you help in the right way?" said Richard, a county presenter, describing the intended role. Staff said the position will be dispatched from the sheriff’s office, carry out field response during peak hours (proposal includes afternoons into evening and some weekend coverage), and have hiring input from sheriff’s staff. North Sound BHASO is providing the project funding; presenters emphasized the money will not come from the county’s general coffers.

The board also approved (by consensus direction to staff) moving forward with additional peer‑support funding. The county will pilot a peer‑support program that uses local 1/10th mental‑health funds to back recovery cafes and other lived‑experience services. The board scaled the pilot to $100,000 over two years (reduced from an earlier $100,000/year proposal) to preserve resources for other needs, a presenter said.

Presenters described the peer work as nonbillable services — the kind of support that cannot be charged to Medicaid — and said the awards will help sustain local recovery networks and create pathways for peers to move into paid roles.

Richard also briefed the board on opioid‑settlement spending. The county received naloxone kits from Washington State (160 kits total); staff reported 107 kits had been distributed and one reversal associated with county kits was recorded. The county is using settlement funds for prevention, coalition support and a new pilot called OARS (Opioid Addiction Recovery Supports), a two‑year program that provides time‑limited financial assistance to people in active recovery. Examples given include covering up to three months of bills while someone completes inpatient or intensive outpatient treatment, help for kinship caregivers, and supports intended to keep families stable during recovery.

"Dear neighbor, included in the next step kit are harm reduction materials... You matter," Richard read from a county letter that accompanies naloxone kits; he said the letter is signed by the sheriff and local criminal‑justice leaders and has prompted positive community feedback.

Presenters and board members repeatedly noted limitations: most items are pilots or one‑time awards, long‑term funding is uncertain, and county staff must monitor uptake, contracting and reporting closely. Several members asked staff to return with progress updates, and presenters said they expect vendor selection for the co‑response role soon.

Next procedural steps: county staff will finalize contracts and hiring for the co‑response pilot, prepare peer‑support contracts and execute OARS agreements with local providers (Joyce Lisonbee Family Resource Center, Orcas Community Resource Center and Compass Health were cited as partners). The board asked for a one‑year progress report on pilot outcomes and service uptake.