Committee authorizes $292,672 emergency appropriation to sustain health-department substance-use services

Ruth Ann Hall, assistant county administrator, presented a joint resolution asking the committee to authorize an emergency appropriation of $292,672 from Lake County opioid settlement funds to the Lake County Health Department Behavioral Health Services Division to stabilize and sustain services for uninsured residents.

Michelle Esher, speaking for the Health Department, said the funds would supplement treatment for uninsured and unfunded individuals in outpatient substance-abuse programs, the child and adolescent outpatient program, withdrawal management, and two residential rehabilitation programs including a women’s residential service. "This month we have run out of funding that the state has given us for this state fiscal year," Esher said, and without the appropriation staff would have to place unfunded individuals on a waitlist.

Hall told the committee Lake County received roughly $9,500,000 from the opioid settlements and that the requested $292,672 is intended as gap funding because state reimbursements sometimes run out before new allocations arrive in July. She described the amount as an estimate and said any unused dollars would be reprogrammed back into the opioid settlement fund.

The committee asked clarifying questions and then approved the appropriation on a voice vote.