Subject:
Title
Opioid Abatement Advisory Board’s funding recommendation and associated Agreement and Land Use Restriction Agreement with Operation PAR, Inc. for a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center under the Treatment and Recovery Services Solicitation.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Board’s (OAFAB) funding recommendation and associated Agreement and Land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) with Operation PAR, Inc. for a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center (BHUCC) under the Treatment and Recovery Services Solicitation.
• Pinellas County Human Services administered a competitive grant process for opioid abatement programs aligned with OAFAB funding priorities and the Ernst & Young gap analysis.
• The solicitation opened on March 31,2025; eleven applications were received. The OAFAB completed rank and review on August 12, 2025, moving three applicants to oral presentations. After oral presentations on August 22, 2025, PAR received the highest score and was recommended for negotiations for BHUCC. On July 28, 2026, the OAFAB voted to recommend the BHUCC Program as negotiated.
• A LURA is included in the agreement to maintain the property use exclusively to provide, coordinate, and/or facilitate substance use prevention, treatment or wrap around services as approved by the County through October 1, 2046.
• The Board previously approved the OAFAB priority list on May 20, 2025 (Item 25-0569A). The services to be provided by the BHUCC align with the priority Core Strategies and Approved Uses identified in the Priority List.
• The funding agreement is for an amount not to exceed $25M through September 30, 2030. Total Agreement value is $25M over a four-year term. This includes one year of capital and start-up costs and three years of full-service delivery. Capital costs are estimated at approximately $3.4M, start-up costs at approximately $2.7M, and full-service delivery at approximately $6.2M, per fiscal year.
• The recommended agreement will be funded entirely through Regional Opioid Abatement settlement funds. These funds are accounted for in their own special revenue fund, separate from the general fund. This will be the second OAFAB agreement.
• Funding for this agreement is included in the FY27 proposed Budget for Human Services Department within the Opioid Abatement Settlement Fund. Funding for future years is dependent on approval in the annual County Operating Budget.
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Strategic Priorities:
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.1 Improve public health.
2.2 Enhance community safety.
Prosperity and Opportunity
3.3 Increase workforce opportunities.
3.4 Enhance educational and cultural opportunities.
3.5 Foster business growth.
Smart Service Delivery
4.2 Achieve and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.
4.4 Pursue continuous improvement.
Summary:
Summary
Pinellas County Human Services administered a competitive grant solicitation process for opioid abatement programs aligned with OAFAB funding priorities and the Ernst & Young gap analysis.
The solicitation opened on March 31,2025 and eleven applications were received. Four did not meet the minimum annual budget requirements. OAFAB completed rank and review on August 12, 2025, and after oral presentations from the top three applicants on August 22, 2025, PAR received the highest score and was recommended for negotiations for a Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center. On July 28, 2026, OAFAB formally voted to recommend approval of the negotiated award to PAR.
The BHUCC will provide same day, walk-in access to behavioral health care including but not limited to: assessment, brief intervention, stabilization, outpatient services, psychiatry, medication management, Medication Assistance Treatment (MAT) satellite services, and care coordination for individuals experiencing urgent, non-life-threatening behavioral health needs. Additional services include primary healthcare. A LURA is included in the agreement to maintain the property use exclusively to provide, coordinate, and/or facilitate substance use prevention, treatment or wrap around services as approved by the County through October 1, 2046.
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Background Information:
Pinellas County, along with the Florida cities and counties, agreed to the Florida Opioid Allocation and statewide response agreement (the “Florida Plan”) with the State of Florida, which governs the allocation and use of opioid litigation settlement proceeds.
The Regional Fund is distributed to Pinellas County government as a Qualified County under the Florida Plan.
Under the Florida Plan, and in collaboration with the City of Clearwater, Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, and Department of Health established the OAFAB. The OAFAB is tasked with reviewing opioid-related data, setting priorities for regional settlement funding, and after competitive solicitations administered by Pinellas County Human Services, making funding recommendations to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.
The Board previously approved the OAFAB priority list on May 20, 2025 (Item 25-0569A). The services to be provided by the BHUCC align with the priority Core Strategies and Approved Uses identified in the Priority List, including Expansion of Warm Handoff-Programs and Recovery Services and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).
Fiscal Impact:
The funding agreement is for an amount not to exceed $25M through September 30, 2030. Funding has been identified in the amount of $42.6M in the Human Services’ FY27 Proposed Budget through the Opioid Abatement Settlement special revenue fund Total Agreement value is $25M over a four-year term. This includes one year of capital & start-up costs and three years of full-service delivery. Capital costs are estimated at approximately $3.4M, start-up costs at approximately $2.7M, and full-service delivery at approximately $6.2M, per fiscal year.
The recommended agreement will be funded entirely from Regional Opioid Abatement settlement funds. These funds are accounted for in their own special revenue fund, separate from the general fund. This will be the second OAFAB funded agreement.
The Agreement includes a fiscal non-funding clause, should this portion of the budget not be approved or funds become unavailable.
Funding for this agreement is included in the FY27 proposed Budget for Human Services Department within the Opioid Abatement Settlement Fund. Funding for future years is dependent on approval in the annual County Operating Budget.
Staff Member Responsible:
Karen Yatchum, Director, Human Services
Partners:
City of Clearwater
City of Pinellas Park
City of St. Petersburg
Florida Department of Health Pinellas County
Department of Children & Families
Attachments:
Services Agreement
LURA
Funding Recommendation
Final Rank and Review