Subject:
Title
Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse site-based program, category 6.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the grant award from 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:
This new program establishes the Pinellas County Strategic Information Partnership to better provide timely and accurate data for a comprehensive view of the drug abuse environment in Pinellas County. Data is currently maintained by different agencies without effective, real-time integration in a way that supports the responsiveness of public safety, public health, and behavioral health partners.
The purpose of the proposed grant opportunity is to plan and implement comprehensive programs in response to the growing opioid epidemic. Pinellas County is poised to have a stronger 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 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 Information:
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 federal funding awarded is $999,960.00 for a 36-month project period and requires no match. This grant was not included in the FY19 Adopted Budget and a budget resolution may be required to recognize and appropriate this funding in FY19.
This is a new program that will support the five goals of the Opioid Task Force Strategic Plan and does not offset existing General Fund investments.
Staff Member Responsible:
Daisy Rodriguez, Director, Human Services
Partners:
U.S. Department of Justice
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:
Notice of Award
Final Submitted Grant Application