DEPARTMENT: Public Health
FILE TYPE: Regular Action
TITLE
title
Authorization To Execute A Contract With Lionheart Wellness And Recovery Using Opioid Settlement Funds
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Authorize execution of a contract with Lionheart Wellness and Recovery 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 six-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 includes 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). ORAC committee member Tiffany Neuharth is employed by Lionheart Wellness and Recovery and did not participate on the subcommittee and abstained from the committee vote.
The ORAC recommends that the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorize a contract with the following vendor:
Lionheart Wellness and Recovery
• Proposed Strategies:
o Expand trauma-responsive, evidence-based, co-occurring treatment for adolescents.
o Increase accessibility to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder for adolescents.
o Provide holistic support to adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder and/or Mental Health conditions and their families.
• MOA Exhibit A Strategies: A.1, A.3, and A.6
o A.1: Expand availability of treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions, including all forms of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (“MOUD”) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including by making capital expenditures to purchase, rehabilitate, or expand facilities that offer treatment.
o A.3: Expand telehealth to increase access to treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including MOUD, as well as counseling, psychiatric support, and other treatment and recovery support services.
o A.6: Provide treatment of trauma for individuals with OUD (e.g., violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or adverse childhood experiences) and family members (e.g., surviving family members after an overdose or overdose fatality), and training of health care personnel to identify and address such trauma.
• Not to Exceed Dollar Amount: $75,000.
OUTCOMES
How much?
The allocated $75,000 will provide Lionheart Wellness and Recovery 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?
Lionheart Wellness and Recovery 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 Lionheart Wellness and Recovery in a contract amount not to exceed $75,000 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
body
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 subcommittee included 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, advisory committee member Tiffany Neuharth is employed by Lionheart Wellness and Recovery and did not participate on the subcommittee and abstained from the committee vote; and
WHEREAS, the ORAC recommends that the Dakota Board of Commissioners authorize a contract with the following vendor based on the following:
Lionheart Wellness and Recovery
• Proposed Strategy:
o Expand trauma-responsive, evidence-based, co-occurring treatment for adolescents.
o Increase accessibility to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder for adolescents.
o Provide holistic support to adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder and/or Mental Health conditions and their families.
• MOA Exhibit A Strategies: A.1, A.3, and A.6
o A.1: Expand availability of treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions, including all forms of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (“MOUD”) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including by making capital expenditures to purchase, rehabilitate, or expand facilities that offer treatment.
o A.3: Expand telehealth to increase access to treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including MOUD, as well as counseling, psychiatric support, and other treatment and recovery support services.
o A.6: Provide treatment of trauma for individuals with OUD (e.g., violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or adverse childhood experiences) and family members (e.g., surviving family members after an overdose or overdose fatality), and training of health care personnel to identify and address such trauma.
• Not to Exceed Dollar Amount: $75,000.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Dakota County Board of Commissioners hereby authorizes the Community Services Director to execute a contract with Lionheart Wellness and Recovery in a contract not to exceed amount of $75,000, for the term of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, to expand trauma-responsive, evidence-based, co-occurring treatment for adolescents, to increase accessibility to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder for adolescents, and to provide holistic support to adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder and/or Mental Health conditions and their families in accordance with the Opioid Memorandum of Agreement Exhibit A strategy items A.1, A.3, and A.6, 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
Attachment: Solicitation Summary
Attachment: Solicitation Summary Supplement
Attachment: ORAC December 3, 2024 Minutes
Attachment: Presentation Slides
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