Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Substance Use Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff outline recovery-housing plans, seek operator as COSSUP grant nears end
Summary
Oneida County health staff reported progress on a COSSUP grant that funds peer recovery services and planning for recovery housing, including a feasibility study, stakeholder recruitment and coordination with law enforcement deflection efforts; the grant runs through September 2026 and staff are pursuing extensions and additional funding.
County public-health staff updated the Board of Health Committee on June 9 about work under the federal Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) grant and ongoing planning for recovery housing.
"The program is working on an extension," Jenny Chiamulera said, describing COSSUP funding received in 2023 that runs through September of this year and supports peer recovery services and expanded access to recovery housing. Staff described steps underway: a feasibility study, policy development, stakeholder recruitment and identification of an operator to run recovery housing when established. Chiamulera and Shelby Moore said the project is time-limited and currently funded from grants and opioid-settlement dollars, and staff are exploring billing options and additional grants to sustain services.
Committee members were told the program works with criminal-justice partners to divert eligible people to services instead of jail. Chiamulera said a Law Enforcement Deflection Training held in June involved about nine agencies and was "the first of its kind in the state," noting Rhinelander Police Department participation and a separate county diversion program. Staff emphasized the goal of connecting people to services, and that recovery housing planning includes people with lived experience, local government, the county board and law enforcement on an advisory committee.
No final operator, zoning plan or funding commitment was reported at the meeting; staff said those are among the outstanding tasks. The committee received the update and discussed next steps for feasibility, policy work and stakeholder recruitment.
