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

Fulton County commissioners voted Dec. 16 to use $160,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds to expand recovery services by hiring an additional Certified Recovery Specialist for the county’s Family Partnership Team.

The plan was presented by Executive Development Director Julie Dovey and approved by a motion from Commissioner Hervey P. Hann. The motion passed unanimously. The minutes record the approved use of settlement funds but do not specify a hiring timeline, salary details, or the duration of the position.

County officials said the funding will be dedicated to adding another CRS to bolster the Family Partnership Team’s capacity to serve residents affected by opioid use. The minutes do not provide a breakdown of how the $160,000 will be allocated (for example, salary versus training or benefits), nor do they specify whether the position will be permanent or grant-funded.

The action was recorded in the meeting minutes as a formal motion that passed without opposition. No public comment on the item is recorded in the minutes. The board also approved other routine items at the same meeting, but the opioid-funds allocation is the meeting’s principal programmatic decision and the only item that commits settlement funds to a specific service expansion.

The minutes do not list next procedural steps, reporting requirements, or an oversight plan tied to the approved expenditure; those details will need to appear in subsequent county documentation for more complete public accountability.