Fulton County commissioners approve $160,000 opioid settlement plan to add recovery specialist

Fulton County commissioners approved a plan on Dec. 16, 2025, to use $160,000 in opioid settlement funds to add another Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) to the Fulton County Family Partnership Team.

The plan, presented by Executive Development Director Julie Dovey, was approved by motion of Commissioner Hervey P. Hann and carried by a unanimous vote of the three commissioners present. The motion’s language, as recorded in the meeting minutes, authorized the specific use "to 'Expand Certified Recovery Specialist Services by adding another CRS (Certified Recovery Specialist) to Fulton County Family Partnership Team.'"

The funding source for the position was identified in the motion as Opioid Settlement Funds; the transcript does not specify whether the $160,000 covers a multi-year commitment, ongoing salary and benefits, or one-time startup costs. The commissioners did not record additional conditions or a timeline for implementation in the public minutes.

The approval followed a discussion with Dovey about uses of Opioid Settlement Funds. No vote tallies beyond "all in favor" were recorded; three commissioners — Randy H. Bunch (chair), Steven L. Wible (vice-chair) and Hervey P. Hann — were listed as present for the vote.

Next steps were not detailed in the meeting record; the minutes state only that the plan was approved. The county’s meeting minutes note that separate or follow-up administrative steps (job posting, hiring, contracting or budget amendments) may be required but are not recorded in the public motion.