[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6612397,"mediaKeyId","2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a","parentId",2891502,"title","Wake County details opioid-settlement spending: $6.5 million planned this year for treatment, naloxone and recovery supports","audioSeconds",1261,"startMs",5695000,"endMs",6956000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a&start=5695&end=6956","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a/thumbnail_5695000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6612397/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wake-County-details-opioid-settlement-spending-65-million-planned-this-year-for-treatment-naloxone-and-recovery-supports","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612397-8656403681a91f0c1a54d47973c56e53/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447786&Signature=Gp2R0pvORh4qBjkK6LiiVAkDF4k-7O5Mrw2qpZgdwfh-Amnolzfz-lwWkI9Sl8Km8htM1-vKFjPqdxBEkFzvbQQyYQNHntrp15xhOVPtCpU8-jwanpOjS7WmxwhjeM5H4Tw7hzrr6fCdSrg194xkqLGatUddTMIfWiTygz0IZCmiJXm3FaBPp1~x7bIlkh0cRv7YfDw56YuYWWnXD72bxfMws5rAwcKk3ROYwuIBUGjsC988j89kKO~Qqs49qt4OGQg~JT8-UZ4EnIt0lUzHFP9BzRUoZ1uXfB7BvlohRBkDyLgA3EolL5J2ZGoL3jUtvU6THFqAArxhV9aun9FUyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wake County","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","Wake County Health & Human Services Committee members received an update on April 7 on the county\u0000opioid-settlement program, including how settlement funds have been used to expand treatment, naloxone distribution, recovery housing and peer-support services.

Elizabeth Kittliff, who oversees the county\u0000opioid-settlement program in the Behavioral Health Department, told commissioners that Wake County began receiving settlement payments in April 2022 and that the county currently expects to receive more than $67 million over the life of the settlements. Kittliff said the county has funded 23 projects and plans roughly $6.5 million in expenditures through the current plan year.

Kittliff highlighted several program areas and recent awards: support for youth-focused early-intervention trainings (youth mental-health first aid) through partnerships with Boys & Girls Club, Communities In Schools and the Post Center; funded mobile opioid-treatment units by Morse Clinic and Southlight Healthcare to take medication-based opioid treatment into communities; recovery-housing expansions through several local providers; expanded medication-assisted treatment in the Wake County Detention Center; peer-support and care-navigation projects; naloxone distribution efforts including low-barrier access points; and workforce-development investments such as peer-specialist training and apprenticeships.

She said a one-time $322,000 settlement from McKinsey expands allowable strategies into primary prevention and education that were not covered under the North Carolina memorandum of agreement (NCMOA) guiding most settlement funds. Kittliff said the McKinsey payment will be included in the FY26 budget process.

Kittliff emphasized evaluation and reporting, saying the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners has provided evaluation guidance and county staff collect quarterly process and outcome metrics from funded programs. \"We're tracking metrics from every program,\" she said, including process indicators and measures of whether participants are better off.

Commissioners commented that Wake County appears to be moving faster than many peers in distributing funds. Commissioner Adamson said some neighboring counties had yet to spend settlement dollars; Kittliff said Wake County has prioritized getting funds to community partners and building technical assistance and peer-learning opportunities for small organizations.

Examples cited in the presentation included: mobile opioid-treatment programs that reduce transportation barriers; expanded peer-based rapid-responder services with transportation added to link people to medication dosing and care; recovery housing supports including security-deposit and utility assistance; and low-barrier naloxone distribution through community placements and outreach.

Kittliff told the committee the county expects to publish a draft plan update and include settlement-related budget items in the county\u0000budget process; final materials and an item for the full board are expected in June.

Why it matters: county officials said early investment in a range of interventions aims to reduce overdose deaths and emergency-department visits, improve treatment access and build capacity among community providers. Kittliff noted recent declines in county overdose counts but stressed continued attention to racial and age-group disparities in emergency visits.

Provenance: quotations and program details in this article come from Elizabeth Kittliff\u0000\u0000\u0000presentation to the Health & Human Services Committee at the April 7 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wake County - Regular - Apr 07, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Wake County staff told the Health & Human Services Committee on April 7 that the county has funded 23 community projects with opioid-settlement dollars and plans about $6.5 million in expenditures in the current plan year to expand treatment, naloxone distribution and recovery supports.","taxTitle","Wake County, North Carolina","taxId",3336,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6612402,"Wake County HHS committee reviews strategic-plan initiatives to reduce barriers to care, streamline benefits and support veterans",1354,3136000,4490000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a&start=3136&end=4490","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a/thumbnail_3136000.jpg","/articles/6612402/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wake-County-HHS-committee-reviews-strategic-plan-initiatives-to-reduce-barriers-to-care-streamline-benefits-and-support-veterans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612402-ba0012a69910cf05806416b57421db68/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447786&Signature=hKOO1~upsvO5nUkS3IIoYq~PkLyDGWtQI-xnjG2yg~E8KIHRPNhexnoTnCcLCFkKAiXkodBhtatgnU7lGgenFSuzo1oEnJH7pF07uHZxlvV6DlN10LQ5NylRdY7BlL3v~85gr77iiv8jarCwT7usRDUKTwzqRL4kNlXP1OJc6CER6iP3Aw9SJp7-7mO8HLnmpBFWtZB6YfLQvBEk~YPq37PFRWkRXcK4J5D2UtOW4hw8csJa1~VZEoG7Ch45mz9ZWGSfKljgy2jdryOhbj~2SRoBleISSdAkojiMt7gs5Bjl2qqxPO8fAzVVBBa3IK-bOtI-tNW9qIL2~zO9jn6K9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wake County Health & Human Services Committee members on April 7 reviewed proposed implementation initiatives tied to the county\u0000strategic plan that aim to lower barriers to health and behavioral services, expand benefit navigation and strengthen services for veterans.

The initiatives presented by staff are meant to advance the county\u0000strategic plan adopted in April 2024, which sets 24 goals across six focus areas. For the community health and well-being focus area, staff said the committee will measure progress on Goal 3 by tracking whether 5% more residents report lower barriers to care by 2029 using a community survey conducted every two years.

The presentation identified a set of initiatives intended to contribute to those goals: conducting a comprehensive review of behavioral health services for youth; encouraging facility co-locations and mobile service models to bring care into neighborhoods; improving early identification and assessment of people entering care; updating a maternal and infant health plan; evaluating ARPA-funded health and behavioral pilots for possible operational integration during FY 2026 budgeting; and improving service navigation resources countywide.

\"We want to connect them to care more quickly,\" Jason Horton said, describing an initiative to assess screening at entry to care so people do not exit services before outcomes are met. Horton introduced the initiatives as staff-developed recommendations that will be prioritized and sequenced for implementation based on available resources.

Commissioners pressed staff on access barriers that could limit the initiatives\u0000impact. Commissioner Waters asked whether transportation and services for people with disabilities were part of the access conversation; Horton said transportation had not surfaced as a distinct barrier in the focus-team discussions but that staff would take it back for review. Waters also asked about specialty-care shortages, such as developmental pediatricians; Horton said the planned market assessment and community conversations would help quantify specialty-care gaps.

Commissioner Jackson asked how the committee will reach priority populations named in the initiatives and whether baseline data exist for those groups. Horton said the community survey included follow-up questions about barriers and that the most common responses were insufficient numbers of providers, long wait times and cost of services.

Several commissioners noted overlapping themes across goals, particularly the need for better service navigation, data-sharing and technology to streamline benefits applications. Jason Horton and commissioners discussed keeping initiatives flexible and sequencing implementation so early steps inform later ones. Commissioner Adamson urged building a centralized, easy-to-use resource for residents seeking food, rent or utility assistance; Horton said the initiatives include work to better develop and maintain integrated networks of care such as NC Care 360 and the Wake Network of Care.

Why it matters: committee members said the initiatives are intended to move the strategic plan from high-level goals to operational work that could be reflected in the FY 2026 budget and in future county programs. Commissioners asked staff to return with prioritization recommendations and to address gaps identified in the discussion.

Details and next steps: staff said the strategic plan is a living document and they will take commissioner feedback back to focus teams. The county manager\u0000office and the Health & Human Services Department will continue work on the market assessment with Guardian Healthcare, and ARPA-funded pilot assessments will inform FY 2026 budget proposals.

Speakers quoted or identified in this article are listed in the attached attribution whitelist. The committee approved minutes at the start of the meeting by voice vote; a motion to approve the minutes \"as presented\" carried, but the transcript does not record a named mover or numerical tally.

Less critical context: Horton said staff intentionally presented initiatives in a randomized order so commissioners could judge the collective contribution to the goals rather than an ordered priority list. Commissioners suggested staff consider combining related technology and navigation initiatives to build momentum.","Wake County Health & Human Services Committee members on April 7 reviewed proposed implementation initiatives tied to the county\u0000strategic plan that aim to lower barriers to health and behavioral services, expand benefit navigation and strengthen services for veterans.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6612393,"Wake County launches Familiar Faces pilot to coordinate care and share data across health, housing and justice systems",1731,8145000,9876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a&start=8145&end=9876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891502-9d0b345e77a5cb35861fbef024e4df5a/thumbnail_8145000.jpg","/articles/6612393/Wake-County/North-Carolina/Wake-County-launches-Familiar-Faces-pilot-to-coordinate-care-and-share-data-across-health-housing-and-justice-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6612393-7628e01451221931fc8ae0babf3caf7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447786&Signature=Wst5~-ZJl4YYNZ7TcUTG39dS3hueGsNkuM-6mwffT2Cao1qA~RvrcxBZ7TH4VcnyBu~KfHpj2Yf04SO-ZhGH1b~tK9xi~rlLbvGeRzRk8relPdPwVO2RzXD7~cH6YzNnnhDcj82Q~4k28jnAG0lBHCIii-TllMeQ9PEgyyV8t8hj00QAWKUsPk3otMM2XVCkQo~O98mmYFNonXw3DnVEhwNanZNowK47TdYsJVrF6p30yW78eQjSXN1Z0LJZZWu~psXZwX87eyOZexfgJfaseEAlG00npXyrtA36DzdD2H6oncYR1YZCe2Tn476V6OzZNgg-AkJKQDyxX5kKJNsexw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wake County presented details on April 7 about its Familiar Faces pilot, a county Behavioral Health Department initiative designed to identify people who repeatedly use emergency and crisis services and coordinate care across health, housing and criminal-justice systems using shared data and partner collaboration.

Darryl Lanier, Familiar Faces program manager, said the pilot will combine county and state data sources \u0000including the North Carolina Health Information Exchange (HIE), the state criminal-justice data warehouse and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) \u0000to build unified client profiles. The intent is to give partner agencies timely information that enables care managers, EMS and hospital teams to pursue alternatives to repeated emergency-department use and to enable preventive outreach.

\"These are folks that frequently contact crisis services and often face complex medical, behavioral and housing issues,\" Lanier said. \"By sharing data and coordinating services, we intend to take preventative measures so those encounters are reduced and people get integrated whole-person care.\" Kevin Fitzgerald, a clinical-scholar partner on the project, said earlier analyses showed a small number of people account for a disproportionate share of emergency and justice contacts.

Pilot partners named in the presentation are Wake EMS, UNC Health (including NC FIT and transition clinics), WakeMed, Southlight, Triangle Family Services (a HUD housing-first partner) and the county housing department. Lanier said the program is starting with a limited set of partners to learn and iterate before scaling.

The county described a phased timetable: an interim solution using identity-resolution services already available through the state HIE authority, a discovery phase with a contracted vendor (Tetris Corporation) to design the system, and a goal of a fully operational data-sharing platform by December 2026. Lanier said the county is currently working through required data-sharing agreements and planned presentations to the HIE use-case work group and the HIE advisory committee; the advisory committee consideration is scheduled for June 17.

Lanier emphasized the pilot approach is deliberate: by testing with a small set of partners the county can learn, adjust and avoid large-scale investments that would be difficult to pivot. He also said partners are already coordinating services in advance of full platform deployment to reduce duplication and improve outcomes.

Why it matters: county officials said integrated data and partner collaboration can reduce costly repeated emergency and jail contacts and improve health outcomes for people with complex needs. Lanier and partners said the program could be a model for other counties and, in time, a statewide approach.

Next steps: the county will complete data-sharing agreements, continue the discovery contract with the vendor Tetris Corporation, present the project to the HIE use-case work group and the advisory committee in the coming months, and return to the board later this summer with a multiyear contract request for full implementation.","The Health & Human Services Committee was briefed April 7 on the Familiar Faces pilot, a Wake County Behavioral Health Department effort to identify people who frequently use emergency and crisis services and connect providers using a shared data platform. Pilot partners include EMS, UNC, WakeMed, Southlight, Triangle Family Services and county","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wake County details opioid-settlement spending: $6.5 million planned this year for treatment, naloxone and recovery supports

Wake County HHS committee reviews strategic-plan initiatives to reduce barriers to care, streamline benefits and support veterans

Wake County launches Familiar Faces pilot to coordinate care and share data across health, housing and justice systems