The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee on April 21 voted to forward five ordinances to City Council that would authorize grant agreements using opioid settlement funds to expand peer recovery specialist services in Richmond.

The measures fund a $198,000 Caritas training program and four additional nonprofit subgrants through separate ordinances with the McShen Foundation, Saint Luke Legacy Center, Atlantic Outreach Group Inc., and Opportunity Alliance and Reentry. Mike Futula, the city’s opioid response coordinator, told the committee that the awards are part of a larger strategy supported by National Opioid Settlement Funds and a $250,000 award from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to create and expand peer recovery roles across emergency response, detox, treatment and recovery settings.

Futula said peer recovery specialists are an evidence-based, nonclinical support role. “Peer recovery specialists provide substance use disorder and mental health nonclinical person-centered, strengths-based, wellness-focused services, to support clients in entering sustainable recovery,” he told the committee. Futula added that implementing peers is an allowable use of opioid settlement funds and that “there is no fiscal impact to the city” from the grants themselves because the awards are paid from the settlement distribution.

During the public hearing on the Caritas training grant, Benjamin Carr, a person in long-term recovery and director of recovery services for Caritas, spoke in support. “There is no greater connection than peer-to-peer services,” Carr said, adding the program will train an initial cohort and expand community engagement to place “boots on the ground” for outreach and service linkage.

Committee members praised the life‑saving potential of peer services; one member noted projected cost savings from prevention and treatment, citing Futula’s summary that “for every $1 spent in prevention and treatment services, you can expect to see a $4 cost savings in health care costs and a $7 savings in criminal justice costs.”

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 20250‑56 (Caritas grant, peer recovery specialist training, $198,000): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve. Recorded votes during the committee roll call: Vice Chair Jones — Aye; Chair Robinson — Aye. Motion approved.
- Ordinance 20250‑64 (McShen Foundation grant, peer recovery services): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve (block vote). Recorded votes: Vice Chair Jones — Aye; Chair Robinson — Aye. Motion approved.
- Ordinance 20250‑65 (Saint Luke Legacy Center grant, peer recovery services): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve (block vote). Recorded votes: Vice Chair Jones — Aye; Chair Robinson — Aye. Motion approved.
- Ordinance 20250‑66 (Atlantic Outreach Group, Inc. grant, peer recovery services): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve (block vote). Recorded votes: Vice Chair Jones — Aye; Chair Robinson — Aye. Motion approved.
- Ordinance 20250‑67 (Opportunity Alliance and Reentry grant, peer recovery services): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve (block vote). Recorded votes: Vice Chair Jones — Aye; Chair Robinson — Aye. Motion approved.

The administration said subgrantees were selected through a competitive application process and that the grants are intended to build a broader peer recovery specialist network in Richmond with the stated goals of decreasing fatal overdoses, improving outcomes for people with opioid use disorder and providing recovery hope and connection to services. Futula said the city’s opioid response team includes a clinician and peer recovery specialist positions and that the initiatives align with the Richmond Opioid Task Force.

The committee did not record objections during the public hearings. Committee members asked administration to continue coordinating with existing providers to ensure linkages among service providers and to keep council informed of outreach and network integration as programs are implemented.

The measures will now go to full City Council for final consideration.