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Person County extends opioid settlement projects and allocates $401,234.88 to school early-intervention program
Summary
The board approved a one-year extension for three existing opioid-settlement strategies and authorized $401,234.88 from unallocated settlement funds to expand early-intervention services in Person County Schools, leaving roughly $480,582 for future allocations.
Janet Clayton, coordinator of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee, told the Person County Board of Commissioners on May 18 that Person County is slated to receive roughly $4.8 million from a national opioid settlement over 16 years and has received approximately $1.8 million so far.
Clayton summarized three currently funded local initiatives under the agreed MOA: an early-intervention program through Person County Schools (SUES) that served 104 students in its first year and received $300,000 over two years; a post-overdose response team (PORT) through EMS that received $407,517 over two years and makes follow-up contact within 24 to 72 hours after nonfatal overdoses; and recovery-housing start-up support for Freedom House Recovery Center ($2,114 allocated for one year of startup funding), which has submitted materials for final state licensure.
Noting the county's 2025 overdose-related death tally of eight (a rate of 19.9 per 100,000, a 33% decrease from the prior year) but stressing that the county's illicit-opioid overdose rate remains high, Clayton said the advisory committee recommended extending the expenditure end date for the three currently authorized strategies to June 30, 2027 and recommended allocating a portion of the remaining unallocated settlement balance to expand school-based early intervention.
"We recommend funding this initiative of $401,234.87," she said, adding that extension of the original awards would allow the programs to bring projects to completion. The motion presented to the board asked to (1) extend the end date for the previously authorized strategies from June 30, 2026, to June 30, 2027 and (2) authorize the use of $401,234.88 from opioid settlement funds for early-intervention services beginning July 1, 2026 and concluding June 30, 2028.
After discussion and questions about partner roles, the board moved and approved the resolution by voice vote. The approved allocation leaves approximately $480,582 for future awards before further settlement receipts are received; the advisory committee plans an additional RFA in September and further recommendations in December.
