City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 20, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the Release of $100,000 from FY 2019 Contingent Reserves to Create an Opioid and Other Drugs Recovery Coordinator Position.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Consideration of the release of $100,000 from the FY 2019 Contingent Reserves to create an Opioid and Other Drugs Recovery Coordinator position.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Authorize the release of $100,000 in Contingent Reserves for the creation of an Opioid and Other Drugs Recovery Coordinator position (1.0 FTE Grade 22/Supervisory Program Analyst); and
2. That staff continue to seek out alternative funding sources to support this work
BACKGROUND: In October 2017, the White House declared the opioid crisis a National Public Health Emergency. This followed a declaration by the Virginia State Health Commissioner who declared the epidemic a public health emergency in Virginia in 2016. Opioid overdose deaths are increasing throughout the country and since 2015 the City has been a leader in organizing to address the opioid epidemic. City staff have been focused on monitoring local trends and creating solutions to address the problem locally. In FY 2017, there were 59 overdoses in the City, nine of which resulted in death.
In July 2017, the City's Opioid Work Group (OWG) drafted an initial list of priorities (see attached) necessary to address opioid misuse and overdose deaths in the City. Mirroring the President's Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis plan, this initial plan is holistic, system-wide, and includes a focus on five key areas:
1. Opioid Addiction Prevention
2. Opioid Addiction Treatment
3. Overdose Response and Recovery
4. Diversion of Addicted Persons into Treatment
5. Supply Reduction and Law...
Click here for full text