Opioid settlement money would target recovery-based care under Palm Beach County plan

WEST PALM BEACH — An advisory committee has called on Palm Beach County commissioners to spend the overwhelming majority of its millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds on person-centered and recovery-oriented care, arguing the previous approach of "arrest them away" does not work.

Too often, they say, people battling addiction are put back on the street after treatment to fend for themselves without a follow-up recovery plan. That is a prescription for relapse, they say.

Commissioners received a presentation on the opioid spending plan during a workshop meeting on May 21. Assistant County Administrator Tammy Fields said she expects a more detailed plan to be presented to them for adoption this summer.

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The Palm Beach County Advisory Committee on Behavioral Health, Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders developed the plan. Many of its volunteers have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses. The committee wants to see the overwhelming majority of the funds to be used for recovery support, job training, youth assistance and prevention.

Commissioner Maria Marino said the workshop was just the beginning of a long conversation about how the settlement funds should be spent. At issue is how to spend $148 million from 2022 to 2042. It will be distributed over 20 years.

Palm Beach County and other governmental entities throughout the country sued drug manufacturers, distributors and retailers over their role in promoting opioid-based painkillers. Lawsuits accused drug companies of misleading patients and doctors, telling them that the prescription medicine wasn't addictive. Already, the county has spent $25.6 million in 2022 and 2023.

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Many advisory committee members and some county commissioners noted the opioid epidemic had affected them personally. County Commissioner Gregg Weiss said he lost a brother. Commissioner Sara Baxter said she lost two sisters.

Weiss wanted to see some of the money allocated to help families recover, especially children who lost a parent. He also said more needs to be done to find people battling addictions who have yet to seek help.

Baxter opposed the idea of one emergency department to serve as an addiction stabilization unit. She said multiple entities may be needed.

But for the most part, commissioners thought the plan was well thought out and was one they could support.

"Many of us who have contributed to this plan over the years are no longer with us today,” committee Chair Maureen Kielian said at the panel’s May 21 meeting.

Tyler Glock, who said he is in addiction recovery, remarked: "Recovery is about people helping each other to recover. We cannot just release people and expect them to be OK. We need to have a recovery plan for them."

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Opioid plan goal: Help those in recovery from relapsing

The plan recommends that 90% of the settlement funds be spent on "social determinants" of health that include an emphasis on recovery. The goal is to provide continuing support for those addicted to drugs to help prevent them from relapsing.

Just 10% would go to crisis care that includes detox facilities, where people battling addiction get treatment to help them cope with withdrawal from the use of drugs.

John Hulick of the county's Community Services Department said the plan proposes essential services to meet an individual’s needs. It urges that funds be set aside for housing and peer support, all of which are designed to remove barriers and improve long-term recovery outcomes.

The plan also calls for an education program to explain the effect of substance use on brain development, as well as how to dispose of prescription drugs as well as select providers and avoid unethical ones.

Other recommendations include:

• Advocate for Medicaid expansion.

• Support syringe exchange programs.

• Establish an ombudsman to help people removed from, or at risk of being removed, from their housing.

• Promote recovery-ready work environments and expand transportation and employment opportunities.

Commissioner Michael Barnett said he was once skeptical of syringe-exchange programs but has since learned that they do save lives. There was no opposition for the recommendation that they be included in plan.

Weiss wanted to ensure that nonresidents of Palm Beach County do not participate in the program since the resources are finite, but Fields said there could be legal issues with adopting such an approach. She agreed to seek advice from the county attorney.

Palm Beach County was often referred to as the country's recovery capital as people addicted to opioid-based painkillers sought treatment. Law enforcement has cracked down on hundreds of fraudulent operations.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Opioid settlement money will target recovery-based care, county says