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Board approves extension of jail opioid-recovery coordinator contract, seeks payment-history review
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Summary
The board approved a retroactive extension of a contract for the sheriff’s jail opioid recovery program coordinator through June 30, 2027, and amended the motion to direct the county attorney to verify payment history and compliance with opioid-settlement reimbursement rules after commissioners raised concerns about hiring a MOUD nurse.
The Granville County Board of Commissioners on April 6 approved an extension of a contract for a jail-based opioid recovery program coordinator and directed staff to confirm contract payments and compliance with opioid-settlement rules.
Sheriff (speaking as sheriff) recommended extending the agreement with the current program coordinator (identified in the packet as Odyssey Therapy/Heartistry Therapy/Partners Therapy PLLC variations in the materials) until June 30, 2027. Kathy Hayslett, the county’s opioid-settlement facilitator, said the program’s budget was approved but the coordinator’s contract originally ran for one year and needs extension to align with the approved budget period.
Commissioners questioned whether the contract and payments comply with opioid-settlement reimbursement rules and asked about the program’s ability to deliver the induction (medication) portion of treatment. County staff and the sheriff said most program components — counseling, peer support, reentry services and Narcan distribution — are operating, but the induction/medication-for-opioid-use-disorder (MOUD) component remains on hold until Southern Health Partners hires a nurse to perform inductions or the county identifies an alternative. The sheriff said two candidates have been identified and staff are pursuing hiring paths and interagency options with the local hospital if necessary.
During discussion commissioners emphasized the urgency of placing funds into service and asked whether unused opioid settlement funds might be reallocated if the induction program cannot be launched as intended. County staff said the opioid settlement money is reimbursement-based; invoices are submitted and reimbursed periodically.
A motion to approve the contract extension through 06/30/2027 with the named provider was made and seconded. Commissioners amended the motion to include an instruction that the county attorney review the contract, the history of payments, and confirm compliance with the opioid-settlement agreement before additional funds are expended. The county attorney said he had no legal form objections but recommended confirming billed hours and payment history to ensure compliance. The amended motion passed by voice vote; the transcript records multiple "aye" votes but does not list individual roll-call tallies.
The board approved the extension retroactively to match the budget amendment and asked finance and the county attorney to reconcile payments and confirm there is no conflict with opioid-settlement requirements before further disbursements are made.
