Subject:
Title
Grant Application with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program Category 6.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval by the County Administrator of the submission of the grant application with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program Category 6.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener and purchaser of services for those in need
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
Summary:
The Human Services Department is seeking to develop a Pinellas County Strategic Information Partnership to better provide timely and accurate data that provides a comprehensive view of the drug abuse environment in Pinellas County. Data is currently maintained in different agencies and are not integrated in a way that supports the policy and practice needs of public safety, public health, or behavioral health partners. However, Pinellas County is poised to have a stronger collaborative data sharing environment based on the previous work of the USF Data Collaborative and the recently produced Story Map for the Opioid Task Force.
The purpose of the proposed grant opportunity is to plan and implement comprehensive programs in response to the growing opioid epidemic.
The goals of the program include real-time/timely data collection from key stakeholders to better articulate the current state of the problem, and improve communication for targeted outreach, enforcement, and education; cross system planning and data evaluation to better inform policy makers on targeted interventions; and to leverage resources for improved performance.
Background/Explanation:
The opioid epidemic in Pinellas County is a pressing matter as more than one person dies every 32 hours from a drug-related overdose. A recent community health assessment conducted by the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH) identified “addiction” as a top health problem of concern and “alcohol and drug abuse” as the leading behavior concern within Pinellas County. This problem affects every demographic of every community across the county. From 2015 to 2017, the number of opioid-related overdose deaths increased by 36% while the population only increased 1.8% during the same timeframe. This trend is expected to continue into 2018 and beyond.
Fiscal Impact:
Total funding for the project is expected to be $995,000.00 for a 36-month project period and requires no match.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this grant application is granted under Code Section 2-62 (a)(4).
Staff Member Responsible:
Daisy Rodriguez, Health Care Administrator, Human Services
Partners:
Pinellas County EMS & Fire Administration
Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County
University of South Florida, Florida Mental Health Institute
District Six Medical Examiner
Opioid Task Force
Attachments:
Project Abstract: Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program Category 6
Statement of Assurance
Intent to Apply Approval
Draft Grant Application