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Council hears progress on peer-support pilot funded by opioid settlement funds
Summary
The city's pilot peer-support specialist, contracted from the Peer Company with opioid-settlement dollars, has been on the job since October and served 13 unique individuals; staff say settlement funds cover roughly one more year and the city is exploring county or regional partnerships for continuation.
The council reviewed a six-month report on a peer-support specialist pilot funded from opioid-settlement dollars at its April 20 meeting. City attorney Amanda Guile Henman explained the program was initiated under Resolution 3202 and the city contracted with the Peer Company in July 2025 to recruit and place a locally based peer support specialist.
"Danielle has office space within Wilsonville Community Sharing and spends significant time in the community meeting people where they're at," Henman said, summarizing the program's first two quarterly reports and the city's partnership with county behavioral health staff.
Raina Bower of the Peer Company described outreach methods and services: harm-reduction conversations, Narcan distribution, warm handoffs to treatment and housing partners, and person-directed planning. The reports show 13 unique individuals served to date, most of whom were unhoused, with documented connections to housing and treatment.
"We really only do one thing, and that's peer support—meeting people where they're at," Bower said, adding that employees are required to have lived experience and that the Peer Company prioritizes harm reduction and linkages to services.
The city's settlement funds are sufficient to continue the position for another year, Henman said, and the draft FY27 budget includes funding to extend the service for that period. Councilors asked about capacity, whether deputies and other first responders are making referrals, and whether paraphernalia distribution was part of the service; Bower said the program provides Narcan and harm-reduction counseling but does not distribute paraphernalia.
Councilors urged stronger coordination so deputies, library staff, and nonprofit partners can easily refer people to the peer specialist; staff said outreach and referral training to law enforcement and community partners is planned.
