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Commissioners agree to use $50,000 in opioid settlement funds to continue care coordinator role
Summary
Somerset County Commissioners agreed to partner with Somerset Public Health to use $50,000 in opioid settlement funds to continue a jail/Sheriff's Office Care Coordinator position after a grant lapse; deputies have referred 34 cases recently and the funding is interim until new grants are secured.
Somerset County Commissioners reached consensus Nov. 6 to dedicate $50,000 from opioid settlement funds to continue a Care Coordinator position currently filled by Betsy Richard of Somerset Public Health.
The position, based in the Sheriff’s Office and working with the jail, connects families to substance-use resources; deputies have referred 34 cases in recent months, the minutes state. County Administrator Tim Curtis and Sheriff Dale Lancaster recommended using settlement funds after the supporting grant was not renewed. "This position is just getting traction connecting families with resources to help with substance abuse," the minutes record; commissioners agreed to partner with Somerset Public Health and continue the program until additional grant funds can be secured.
The minutes do not specify a contract term, oversight details, or precise expenditure timeline beyond the $50,000 figure. Somerset Public Health and county staff will need to confirm whether the funding will cover full salary and benefits or a portion of program costs.
