AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF ONE PART TIME OVERDOSE RESPONSE COORDINATOR FOR THE SAUK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (SCHD) WITHIN THE 2021 BUDGET PROCESS

RESOLUTION NO. _____ - 2020

AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF ONE PART TIME OVERDOSE RESPONSE COORDINATOR FOR THE SAUK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (SCHD) WITHIN THE 2021 BUDGET PROCESS

The Health Department was awarded a new grant in May of 2020, Overdose Data to Action. This grant requires a coordinator (this position request) to develop new initiatives to better connect overdose survivors to supports.

The mission of the Health Department is to “Enhance the conditions that support optimal health and well-being for all people in Sauk County.” This position will do just that: support the optimum health of overdose survivors and their loved ones by providing them with resources post-overdose. This position is consistent with the Health Department’s strategic planning goals: 1. Improve equity through policy and systems changes that support healthy people; 2. Enhance community convening capacity and community ownership over defining community health priorities and solutions; and 3. Increase data and informatics capacity to inform community health strategy.

Currently, there are about 55 known non-fatal overdoses per year in Sauk County, and in addition, far more that are not called in to services. Our county lacks a systematic way to consistently refer these overdose survivors to treatment and other supports. The Overdose Response Coordinator position will develop, implement, and evaluate Overdose Response Teams and/or similar initiatives to follow up with a home visit to every known overdose survivor within 72 hours. The membership of the Overdose Response Team is to be determined, but may include, for example, a Peer Specialist, Community Paramedics, and the Overdose Response Coordinator. The team will refer the overdose survivor and/or family members present to needed services, such as substance use disorder treatment, housing, transportation, and health services. These efforts aim to decrease Sauk County’s high rates of opioid-related harms, including opioid-related emergency room visits (70.2 per 100,000 population in 2019, compared to 44.1 statewide) and opioid-related death (17.5 per 100,000 population in 2019, compared to15.8 statewide).[1]   

Fiscal Impact: [  ] None   [ X] Budgeted Expenditure    [  ] Not Budgeted

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Sauk County Health Department be authorized to create one part time (0.75 FTE) Overdose Response Coordinator effective January 1, 2021.

For consideration by the Sauk County Board of Supervisors on October 20, 2020.

Respectfully submitted,

Sauk County                                                   Sauk County
FINANCE COMMITTEE                                PERSONNEL & INSURANCE COMMITTEE

______________________________                ______________________________

MARTY KRUEGER, Chair                           TOMMY LEE BYCHINSKI, Chair

______________________________                ______________________________

THOMAS DORNER                                      SHANE GIBSON

______________________________                ______________________________

MIKE FLINT                                                 TERRY SPENCER

______________________________                ______________________________

TIMOTHY MCCUMBER                              CARL GRUBER

______________________________                ______________________________

LYNN EBERL                                                  SMOOTH DETTER

Fiscal Note:

The part time Public Health Overdose Response Coordinator position estimated salary of $69,535 (wages $44,022 and benefits of $25,513.)

Information System Note: $3,000 for computer and licensing software.

Office Space/Furniture: Existing office space will be utilized.