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

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved a plan Dec. 16 to use $160,000 in opioid settlement funds to add another 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 it; the motion passed unanimously. The plan was described in the meeting record as "Expand Certified Recovery Specialist Services by adding another CRS to Fulton County Family Partnership Team." The record does not specify salary or operational start date for the new position.

Why it matters: The allocation directs opioid settlement money to county-level recovery services, which can expand case management and peer-support capacity for residents affected by substance use disorder. The county previously itemized Opioid Settlement Funds in its ledger (a separate line shows $46,105.21 in the account balances reported during the meeting). The minutes do not state whether the $160,000 is a single-year appropriation, multi-year commitment, or whether additional county match or state approval is required.

The board voted in open session; the minutes record the motion as carried with all commissioners voting in favor. The transcript does not record further discussion about performance metrics, hiring timeline, or how the new CRS will be supervised. Commissioners later entered an executive session for personnel matters, but no personnel details related to this allocation appear in the public minutes.

The next procedural step recorded in the minutes is routine: the board adjourned at 11:45 a.m. The meeting record lists separate follow-up or reporting obligations only insofar as adopting the plan in the public minutes; no additional implementation schedule is included.