Approval of the Opioid Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery Fund Awardees – Pasco County Opioid Task Force – $8,451,613.62

1:51:39Fifty is the is the approval of the opioid treatment prevention recovery

1:51:44or do you go to R fifty?

1:51:51Good morning, Commissioners. Paulo Racaldo, Director of Support Services, and also Chair of the OPOI Task Force. Thank you for your time today. So before I begin, I really would like to recognize members of the OPI task force that may be present here today, and also members of the community who have been serving the substance use disorder and mental health population of Pasco County for all of their work and support throughout this process. Without their help this would not have been possible. So earlier today on C forty four you uh reappointed and

1:52:21appointed members uh of the opioid task force. That's our current board list. And to make it quick, um just for context, this is uh the process that we followed for year one of the allocation. So we received over $24 million in ASCS, 24 projects. So 12 of those were considered but not funded. Three were rejected because they did not meet our recommendations and we're recommending nine for funding today. Over eight point

1:52:51four dollars were available for that allocation, eight hundred ninety-eight, thousand from the city-county fund, and seven point five million in change from the regional fund. Out of those 7.5 million, 7.2 are going to be allocated to projects. Just so you know, this process has been completely publicly held. We held all of our meetings, uh selection. And recommendation processes, and all proposals could be either for an annual allocation or multi year allocation up to three years. With

1:53:21the total combined allocation for this year, we that leaves us with a contingency of $271,324.62. And from those projects that were that are being recommended for funding, we have the grand majority of them will be allocated towards services to our community. And just for background, this will be this is just a gist of what each of those projects will cover, but it doesn't really do justice. We're going to be providing services to expectant

1:53:52mothers, to children, to the youth of our county, to better We're gonna be addressing the homeless population, providing transitional housing, mental health services, medically assisted treatment opportunities, peer recovery efforts. So this is really leveraging these dollars to better serve our community for a segment of the population that has not received a lot of that funding in the past. So we're very proud of this effort. And then two of those nine recommended projects have capital aspects

1:54:22to it. The first one is Baycare, which I'd like to highlight. They're actually rebuilding a building that will provide for the first urgent care center. We believe this is the first model of its kind in the state of Florida, so extremely proud of that effort. That'll be an allocation of $484,000 from their full allocation and I'll show you that in a minute. And then steps to recovery, which will expand their capacity. That project specifically will serve veterans in our community, and that's about $3 million. Just

1:54:52for the record, we will be providing the same requirements as with our CDBG projects, 30-year lien on those capital. Projects and with that

1:55:02Paul if you'd stay on there for a second.

1:55:03Absolutely.

1:55:07So I want to say uh I sp spent a good amount of time with staff, probably your team, we're we're phenomenal going through it. Uh went down to visit at Baycare. Uh the facility they have this existing already. Uh it's gonna be a great time to revamp that building and go. Um steps to recovery, and I see Marilyn made us in the back there. Um This is a lady just so you know her passion. I mean she put her pension on the line to go help with this program. Uh so what she's done to help our veterans is amazing. I also learned from talking with her that different

1:55:38from what I was told from s some coalition personnel from before, that I was told that our homeless veterans with the programs that were out there were pretty much taken care of. She has full confidence she can fill all her beds immediately. And I know having a chance to talk to you but I was thinking about it last night as we're gonna go through this whole thing. And and maybe the thirty three beds is good. Uh so w it's a one story complex around, but maybe we should even take a look a little bit more about building maybe phase one and building the same thirty-three beds, but maybe on one side of it,

1:56:08go two stories up and leave room for more expansion for later on, which would be a lot easier later. Um I'd also like to see us help built Bay Care as a step to recovery. If there's any um landscaping that's gonna be done around around the properties that we use that tree mitigation fund and give them full access to putting a grant in for whatever they need for those as well. But I I I wanna say I'm I'm thrilled with what e everything I've learned, everything the whole committee's done. It's it's phenomenal. Thank you. It's a great step forward.

1:56:37And so this is the total recommendation list, just so you can see the split between the city-county fund. And again, just a reminder, the city-county fund was fully expended and the regional fund. We do have a small contingency for those capital projects. So, unless uh there are any questions, I would be remiss if I don't mention our executive leadership team and their incredible support as well. Uh the County Attorney's Office and And the clerk's office, everybody that has been basically hands on trying to make this happen for the last two years. So thank you very much.

1:57:08And with that this is our recommendation for approval.

1:57:12Mr. Chairman

1:57:13Mariano. I I am so excited about this list and what we're doing here. I I just think it's fabulous. Um Commissioner, I do think thirty-three beds is a lot. Um so I would, you know, want them to See see how that goes. Um and hopefully you know they're not there long hopefully they're not there that long and if people are coming out and getting back into society. Um I did learn that Gulf Coast Family Jewish Services also has a residential

1:57:44treatment facility um in my in my district. If you remember it was where they were putting those kids that came into the country without parents years and years ago. Um And I I wanted to point out that we AMSkills partners with Steps to Recovery and their clients who are looking for steady, meaningful employment do come through our program. So we're happy to partner with them. And I'm just think this is a fabulous list. When um the CEO

1:58:14of Baycare I had put, I think his name was Tommy back then. Um had put together a group It was Polk, Pasco, Her uh Hillsborough, and Pinellas County civic and business leaders a number of years ago to discuss how to handle this. This was the recommendation that came out, I think it came out of with me and Sheriff Nacko that you know we thought something like this, um what Bay Air is doing would be a great

1:58:44f first step uh to help with this opioid problem and um I am really excited about these projects and I absolutely 100% want to make the motion to approve this list.

1:58:55Okay. A little more discussion? So part of the reason I brought the idea up when I asked a motion. I'll second the motion with further discussion. Okay. Um so in in talking with Marilyn from the steps to recovery, I mean the program they have helps you get started. You can build in and and get on your feet and go. Um and and that was w my my thought was initially going down to to see and talk was like from what I was told, without that

1:59:25veteran issue that was there, as far as so many veterans out there that are homeless, when I asked her the question It really took me back. When I asked her, you know, if these aren't filled by veterans, are you gonna be able to bring other people in from the outside? And she had like no doubt in her mind that she was gonna be able to fill those beds. So at some point Will will run through those veterans, etcetera. But literally at the property they've got, it's a virgin piece of land, it squares all the way around. And I think that,

1:59:56you know, what we're doing is a great step forward. I think it's also something for Bay Care and for them. We actually should even go talk to the state about trying to get some of the money they have and try to get them more money to go build us more. Because If you can get someone out of the streets, you know, start from one fr from the other, and you get them a place to like gradually build up on their own to where they can actually save money, get their lives back together and come forward. Um 33 beds is great, but if we can do more, so be it. I'd love to take a look at it. The state

2:00:26money that could ma and we if we say we've committed to this on our own and we can reach out to the state and I'd be happy to go up there with you, Maryland, to try to try to get that. If we can keep that open mind to it. Um I think it's an opportunity worth looking at. That's all. But again, it's only because of what I was told and it was told differently from the coalition how b how big the problem is. There's still a lot of veterans out there that need our help and I think it's a great way to move it forward. Okay. I want to try to do help fundraising with them as well.

2:00:50Yeah. Alright, I have a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed like sign. Motion passed 5-0. Thank you, Paul.

2:00:59Thank you. Great job.

2:01:03Okay, so