DATE: May 9, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Salary Resolution Amendment
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve amendment to the Salary Resolution adding one Principal Staff Analyst position to the Department of Behavioral Health Org 5630, effective May 15, 2023, as reflected in Appendix C.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Behavioral Health to add one Principal Staff Analyst position. The position will support the Department’s remedial efforts to manage opioid projects in response to combating the opioid crisis-related epidemic. The position will be funded with Opioid Settlement funds.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose to not to approve the recommended action, which would result in no change to the Department’s Salary Resolution or departmental organization chart. However, a non-approval would limit the Department’s ability for opioid remedial response planning. Unspent Opioid Settlement funds would revert to the State within five (5) years from the date in which the County was in receipt of the funds.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The estimated cost for the position in FY 2022-23 is $31,763 and in FY 2023-24 is $184,228. The position will be funded with Opioid Settlement funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5630 FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The United States is facing an ongoing public health crisis of opioid abuse, addiction, overdose, and death. State and local governments have targeted opioid makers and distributors to recoup tax dollars spent dealing with the opioid epidemic. On July 21, 2021, a $26 billion offer to settle was made by opioid manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals (parent company of Johnson & Johnson) and the “big three" distributors, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health (“the Distributors") to resolve their liabilities in over 3,000 opioid crisis-related lawsuits nationwide. California will receive approximately $2.05 billion from the Janssen and Distributors (J&D) Settlement Agreements over the next 18 years with Fresno County’s allocation estimated at a blended rate of 1.6742%. The monies received from these settlements are intended to fund projects related to opioid abatement, remediation, treatment, and recovery services. California has joined additional lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, and other entities responsible for aiding the opioid epidemic and anticipates receiving funds from future opioid judgment and settlement agreements.
The Opioid Settlement funds are distributed by the State to the Abatement Accounts Fund for future opioid remediation and to the Plaintiff Subdivision Fund for reimbursement of past opioid-related expenses and for legal fees. Once the Opioid Settlement funds are received, Fresno County, is expected to spend its allocated amount within five (5) years from the date of receipt. Otherwise, the unspent funds will revert to the state. Since November 30, 2022, Fresno County has already received two (2) years’ worth of settlement funds for a total of over $4.4 million with the third year’s allocation anticipated to be received during June or July of 2023. To address local opioid epidemic, it is essential that Fresno County utilize available Settlement funds by the five (5) year deadline. Further delays may leave Fresno County to remedy the opioid crisis-related epidemic without the support of the settlement funds.
To support the Department’s remedial efforts in response to the opioid epidemic within the County of Fresno, one (1) Principal Staff Analyst position is being requested. The added position will be responsible for the development, evaluation, implementation, and management of opioid projects to combat the opioid crisis-related epidemic. Some specific duties will include, but are not limited to, engagement with stakeholders and communities about needs and use of the funds, prioritizing the use of the funds and transitions to sustainable efforts, developing a plan for the use of funds over twenty (20) years as well as integrating these efforts into the existing system of care, managing the fund and required reporting of the opioid funds, and working across different County agencies and divisions to implement plans related to the funding.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Salary Resolution Amendment - Appendix C
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander