DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Execute A Contract With Wayside Recovery Center Using Opioid Settlement Funds
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize execution of a contract with Wayside Recovery Center using opioid settlement funds.
SUMMARY
Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents.
Minnesota was part of a multi-state $46.6-billion-dollar lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors. Dakota County is expected to receive $9,127,527.20 in the first settlement and $7,429,374.49 in the second settlement over a 19-year period.
By Resolution No. 23-277 (June 13, 2023), the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorized the formation of the Opioid Response Advisory Committee (ORAC) to assist in distributing part of the Opioid Settlement Funds. This committee includes 17 voting members, including 7 appointed members with lived experience, 4 members from local government, 3 members from the healthcare field, and 3 members from community organizations. Additionally, 4 non-voting Dakota County Staff attend meetings regularly. On May 7, 2024, a 6-member subcommittee was formed to assist with the writing and scoring of the Dakota County Opioid Epidemic Response Services Project Request For Proposal (RFP). This subcommittee included 1 member from healthcare, 2 members with lived experience, 2 members from community partners and 1 member from local government.
On August 22, 2024, the Dakota County Opioid Epidemic Response Services Project RFP was posted for 29 days. Nineteen proposals were received from vendors with a variety of the abatement strategies listed in the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Exhibit A, including Treatment, Prevention and Other Strategies (Attachment: Amended MOA Exhibit A). The subcommittee reviewed and scored the proposals and selected five vendors (Attachment: Solicitation Summary and Attachment: Solicitation Summary Supplement) to enter into contracts for the term of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
On December 3, 2024, the ORAC approved the subcommittee’s RFP process and affirmed the decision to ask the Dakota Board of Commissioners to authorize each of the five contracts with the selected vendors (Attachment: ORAC December 3, 2024 Minutes).
The ORAC recommends that the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorize a contract with the following vendor:
Wayside Recovery Center
• Proposed Strategy:
o Support individuals who are involved in or transitioning out of the criminal justice system in Dakota County through case consultation, comprehensive assessment, care coordination, and linkage to treatment.
• MOA Exhibit A Strategies: Items D.4 and D.5
o D.4: Provide evidence-informed treatment, including Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (“MOUD”), recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions who are incarcerated in jail or prison.
o D.5: Provide evidence-informed treatment, including MOUD, recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions who are leaving jail or prison or have recently left jail or prison, are on probation or parole, are under community corrections supervision, or are in re-entry programs or facilities.
• Not to Exceed Dollar Amount: $100,000.
Commissioner Laurie Halverson (“Commissioner Halverson”), Community Corrections Director Suwana Kirkland (“Director Kirkland”), and Employment & Economic Assistance Director Nadir Abdi (“Director Abdi”) are board members of Wayside Recovery Center. However, Commissioner Halverson may abstain from voting on the resolution, and the contract, if awarded, will not be under the purview of Director Kirkland or Director Abdi for any decision-making.
OUTCOMES
How much?
The allocated $100,000 will provide Wayside Recovery Center funding for innovative projects to respond to the opioid crisis in Dakota County.
How well?
Public Health, in partnership with ORAC, will assure that the recipient provides services through opioid epidemic response strategies, including prevention, treatment and recovery, harm reduction, and continuing care.
Is anyone better off?
Wayside Recovery Center will be required to report outcome data to Public Health and ORAC to assure that the funded strategies have a high impact, particularly from Dakota County communities most disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Staff recommends authorization to execute a contract with Wayside Recovery Center in a contract amount not to exceed $100,000 for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
There is a $0 net County cost as a result of this action. Funding for the contract is included in the 2025 Public Health Budget. The contract shall contain a provision that allows the County to immediately terminate the contract in the event sufficient funds from county, state, or federal sources are not appropriated at a level sufficient to allow payment of the amounts due.
☒ None ☐ Current budget ☐ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 375A.04, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners is, and performs the duties and exercises the powers of, a community health board under Minn. Stat. ch. 145A, and is required to govern and administer those functions as fully as other Dakota County functions, including the responsibility to prevent disease and to promote and protect the public health of Dakota County residents; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota was part of a multi-state $46.6-billion-dollar lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors; and
WHEREAS, Dakota County will receive $9,127,527.20 in the first settlement and $7,429,374.49 in the second settlement over a 19-year period; and
WHEREAS, by Resolution No. 23-277 (June 13, 2023), the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorized the formation of the Opioid Response Advisory Committee (ORAC) to assist in distributing part of the Opioid Settlement Funds; and
WHEREAS, this committee includes 17 voting members, including 7 appointed members with lived experience, 4 members from local government, 3 members from the healthcare field, and 3 members from community organizations; additionally, 4 non-voting Dakota County Staff attend meetings regularly; and
WHEREAS, on May 7, 2024, the ORAC created a subcommittee to assist with the writing and scoring of the Dakota County Opioid Epidemic Response Services Project Request For Proposal (RFP); and
WHEREAS, this committee includes 1 member from healthcare, 2 members with lived experience, 2 members from community partners and 1 member from local government; and
WHEREAS, on August 22, 2024, the Dakota County Opioid Epidemic Response Services Project RFP was posted for 29 days, which resulted in nineteen proposals received from vendors with a variety of the abatement strategies listed in the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Exhibit A, including Treatment, Prevention and Other Strategies; and
WHEREAS, the subcommittee reviewed and scored the proposals and selected vendors to contract with at the amounts listed in the Resolution for the period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, on December 3, 2024, the ORAC approved the subcommittee’s RFP process and affirmed the decision to ask the Dakota Board of Commissioners to authorize each of the five contracts with the selected vendors; and
WHEREAS, the ORAC recommends that the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorize a contract with the following vendor:
Wayside Recovery Center
• Proposed Strategy:
o Support individuals who are involved in or transitioning out of the criminal justice system in Dakota County through case consultation, comprehensive assessment, care coordination, and linkage to treatment.
• MOA Exhibit A Strategies: Items D.4 and D.5
o D.4: Provide evidence-informed treatment, including Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (“MOUD”), recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions who are incarcerated in jail or prison.
o D.5: Provide evidence-informed treatment, including MOUD, recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions who are leaving jail or prison or have recently left jail or prison, are on probation or parole, are under community corrections supervision, or are in re-entry programs or facilities.
• Not to Exceed Dollar Amount: $100,000
; and
WHEREAS, while Commissioner Laurie Halverson (“Commissioner Halvorson”), Community Corrections Director Suwana Kirkland (“Director Kirkland”), and Employment & Economic Assistance Director Nadir Abdi (“Director Abdi”) are board members of Wayside Recovery Center, Commissioner Halverson abstained from voting on the resolution and the contract will not be under the purview of Director Kirkland or Director Abdi for any decision-making.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes the Community Services Director to execute a contract with Wayside Recovery Center in the not to exceed amount of $100,000, for the term of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025 to support individuals who are involved in or transitioning out of the criminal justice system in Dakota County through case consultation, comprehensive assessment, care coordination, and linkage to treatment, in accordance with the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy items D.4 and D5., subject to approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Community Services Director is hereby authorized to amend said contract, consistent with the amount budgeted, to alter the contract amount and the contract term up to one year after initial expiration date, consistent with County contracting policies, subject to approval by the County Attorney’s Office as to form; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the contract shall contain a provision that allows the County to immediately terminate the contract in the event sufficient funds from county, state, or federal sources are not appropriated at a level sufficient to allow payment of the amounts due.
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
23-277; 06/13/23
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: Amended MOA Exhibit A, as attached to item 5.1 on Community Services Committee of the Whole, January 14, 2025, Agenda
Attachment: Solicitation Summary, as attached to item 5.1 on Community Services Committee of the Whole, January 14, 2025, Agenda
Attachment: Solicitation Summary Supplement, as attached to item 5.1 on Community Services Committee of the Whole, January 14, 2025, Agenda
Attachment: ORAC December 3, 2024 Minutes, as attached to item 5.1 on Community Services Committee of the Whole, January 14, 2025, Agenda
Attachment: Presentation Slides, as attached to item 5.1 on Community Services Committee of the Whole, January 14, 2025, Agenda
BOARD GOALS
☒ A Great Place to Live ☐ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☐ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACTS
Department Head: Coral Ripplinger
Author: Erin Carder