Fulton County approves $160,000 to add recovery specialist to family partnership team

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 16, 2025 unanimously approved a plan to use Opioid Settlement Funds to add a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) to the Fulton County Family Partnership Team.

Executive Development Director Julie Dovey presented the proposal and Commissioner Hervey P. Hann moved to approve the plan, described in the minutes as a $160,000 allocation to "Expand Certified Recovery Specialist Services by adding another CRS to Fulton County Family Partnership Team." Commissioner Hann's motion was approved "All in favor." The minutes do not record individual vote counts.

The funding source identified in the motion was "Opioid Settlement Funds." The board's payables list for the same meeting includes an entry labeled "Fund 276 Opioid Settlement Funds" for $46,105.21; the minutes do not explain whether the $160,000 will be drawn from multiple settlement payments, a reserve, or a multi-year commitment. The commissioners did not record further budget detail in the public minutes; the plan and its funding amount are recorded in the packet presented by Dovey and approved by a motion from Commissioner Hann.

The approved plan expands a recovery-services position intended to support families affected by opioid use disorder through the county's Family Partnership Team. The minutes do not include a start date for the position, salary or benefits estimates, or performance metrics for the new CRS; those details were not specified in the public record of the meeting.

Next steps in the minutes indicate implementation will proceed under the Executive Development office as approved. The minutes also note the board held executive sessions before and after the item for personnel matters, but the public record does not link any confidential personnel discussion to this funding decision.