To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Gift Cards for Clients with Opioid Use Disorder
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent, or designee, to purchase on behalf of the Health Services Director, up to 500 Clipper Cards each with a $23 value totaling $11,500 and 100 Walmart gift cards each with a $25 value totaling $2,500, plus applicable shipping up to $30, for a total amount not to exceed $14,030 to be distributed to individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)/Substance Use Disorder (SUD) who are in treatment and living at recovery residences and have difficulty securing transportation and personal items needed for seeking employment, attending court appointments, applying for benefits, and other activities related to employment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This $14,030 expenditure will be entirely funded by Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF).
BACKGROUND:
On July 21, 2021, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the final settlement agreements with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and major pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen (the Janssen and Distributors, or J&D Settlement), marking a pivotal step in addressing the opioid epidemic. These were the first of several opioid settlements that will provide substantial funds for the remediation of the opioid epidemic in California. These settlements are part of a broader national effort to rectify the damage caused by opioid manufacturers and distributors, with California securing up to $2.2 billion for the remediation efforts.
Recovery residences are short-term alcohol-free and drug-free environments that support stability and long-term recovery while clients continue outpatient treatment. While residing at recovery residences, clients must create an employment and housing plan, so that upon completion they become gainfully employed and achieve stable housing. These concrete outcomes increase the likelihood of long-term recovery and self-sufficiency. While transportation support through the managed care plan is exclusively for medical reasons, this request will support client’s efforts to achieve employment.
Transportation is an allowable use of Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) under Exhibit E of the National Opioid Settlement Agreements, which states it is acceptable to use OSF to provide or support transportation to treatment or recovery programs or services for clients with OUD and any co-occurring SUD or mental health conditions. The distribution of Walmart vouchers falls under acceptable uses of opioid funding for recovery services, as clients with opioid use disorder will use the vouchers to purchase items related to employment-seeking efforts, such as clothing, boots, and grooming products. Alcohol and Other Drugs (AODS) employees will create a system and criteria to manage the distribution and audit of Clipper Cards and Walmart vouchers.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, AODS would not be able to fulfill the goals to address the opioid crisis, the health and well-being of the clients enrolled in the program would be impacted and they will be ill-prepared to achieve and assume employment responsibilities.