The Board of Commissioners on September 16, 2024, announced four strategic actions to combat local opioid use in Currituck County. To fund these actions, the Board approved the use of $160,000 in opioid settlement funding provided by the state.
The county will spend $100,000 for a full-time program coordinator to develop treatment services programs and coordinate efforts to reduce Opioid Use Disorder in Currituck County. The coordinator will also apply for grants, offer education within local schools, and work with medical providers to improve post overdose response. This person may be on county staff or an employee of a health department.
A second strategy is to appoint a peer support specialist to provide support and assistance to those experiencing mental health and/or substance abuse challenges. The peer support specialist will be someone who has lived through similar experiences in the past. They will work to connect incarcerated individuals with resources, coordinate referrals from social services, maintain connections with treatment facilities, and create a local database of resources for local citizens. $20,000 will be spent for the peer support specialist.
Third, a Post-Overdose Response Team will be formed to collaborate and partner with the Currituck County Fire-Emergency Medical Services Department. The team will establish a plan to follow up with citizens after an overdose and connect them with available resources. This strategy will utilize $20,000 of the overall funding.
The fourth strategy is the distribution of Naxolone, also known as Narcan, by programs and organizations that utilize the overdose-reversal drug. These will include the Fire-Emergency Medical Services Department and the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office. $20,000 in funding has been dedicated to this strategy.
Each of these expenditures must take place between September 17, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Currituck County is also establishing an advisory board to make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners regarding future uses of opioid settlement funding. The first meeting of the opioid advisory board is scheduled for October 10, 2024.
