Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board
Access & Equity Working Group Meeting
November 12, 2024
Virtual Meeting Held Via Zoom
Meeting Minutes
Access & Equity Working Group Members
Joel K. Johnson, TASC, Inc. (Chair)
Jonnell Benson-Cobbs, DPN, Serenity Treatment and Counseling Center
Diana Bottari, MD, Advocate Aurora Health
Tim Devitt, PsyD, Private Practice
David Gomel, PhD, Rosecrance
James L. Grafton, Administrator, Rock Island County
Christopher Hoff, DuPage County Health Department
Debbie Holsapple, Jefferson County Comprehensive Services
Shane Pettigrew, Illinois State Police
Gail Richardson, West Side Opioid Task Force
Charles Stratton, Department of Human Resources, Sangamon County
Mike Tyson, Take Action Today
Michael Wahl, MD, Illinois Poison Center, Illinois Health and Hospital Association
John Werning, Chicago Recovery Alliance
Dr. Matthew Richards, Chicago Department of Public Health
Welcome and Roll Call
Joel Johnson welcomed the group and called the meeting to order. Sue Pickett, PhD of Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. (AHP), facilitator, took roll call. Jonnell Benson-Cobbs, David Gomel, James Grafton, Debbie Holsapple, Charles Stratton, Mike Tyson, and Michael Wahl were absent. Dr. Miao Hua attending on behalf of Dr. Richards. All the other members were present. Quorum was established.
Review and Approval of the September 10, 2024 Working Group Meeting Minutes
Mr. Johnson asked for a motion to approve the September 10th working group meeting minutes. Gail Richardson made a motion to approve the minutes. Diana Bottari seconded the motion. All members voted in favor. The motion carried.
Regional Care Coordinating Agency (RCCA) Portal
* The Illinois RCCA supports the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) through sub-awards administration. All questions about opioid settlement funding opportunities, application and awards should be submitted via the RCCA's help desk portal. Using this process will allow the RCCA to post questions and responses for the public to view, increasing transparency related to the funding process.
Priority Recommendations for the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board (IORAB)
Local Health Department Infrastructure Recommendation
This recommendation is to provide funding for local health departments to employ epidemiologists or similar staff to do data collection and research at a local level. This research will provide an understanding of the impact of opioid services to allow rapid response and quality improvement. The request is for $6 million per year for 3 years for a total of $18 million.
* Mr. Johnson noted that the working group did not determine whether they supported this recommendation at the September meeting. The group had concerns that the funding amount was too high, and that money might be used to address other shortages within health departments rather than for the intended purpose. Mr. Johnson reported that he described the group's concerns about the funding amount and their inability to come to a consensus to support the recommendation at the October IORAB meeting.
* Mr. Jim Wilkerson, interim State Opioid Services Administrator (SOSA) at IDHS/SUPR, stated that this recommendation is not currently being considered as written. The individuals who submitted the recommendation are working with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to develop a revised recommendation.
Capital Projects Recommendation
Mr. Wilkerson stated that this recommendation, which will establish an opioid remediation services capital investment grant program, was approved in 2023 by the IORAB and the Steering Committee, but a funding amount has not been determined. Mr. Wilkerson asked for group feedback about the amount that should be allocated for this recommendation and whether this funding should be used to provide housing.
* A working group member asked if there were regulations that set a minimum dollar amount for projects that could be funded using capital investment. Mr. Wilkerson said he will get more information and provide an answer to this question.
* A working group member asked if funding disbursed through this recommendation could support the construction of new housing or payment for rent or costs for existing housing.
Mr. Wilkerson responded that he was asking for this group's feedback about whether these were acceptable uses. Mr. Johnson noted that rent subsidies would not be funded under capital investments.
* A working group member asked about the process the IORAB uses to disburse funding. Mr. Johnson responded that funding would be disbursed using a competitive NOFO process where organizations submit proposals describing how they would use the funding, and a merit-based review process is used to determine who receives funds. There might be factors such as the availability of matching funds or sustainability that would make a project more competitive.
* A working group member noted that there is a need for low-barrier non-congregate housing for people at risk of overdose. Entrance criteria for this housing should align with a harm reduction approach and not include a requirement for abstinence from substances. He asked if there was a way to emphasize that the funding could be used to meet the needs of people who were still using drugs.
* A working group member noted that access to housing is important for recovery and stability and stated that they were in favor of allowing capital investment to fund housing.
* Mr. Johnson noted that there are other potential uses for the capital investment funding such as offices and equipment.
* A working group member asked if capital funds would be disbursed by the RCCA or through other state mechanisms, which can take a long time and require a lot of administrative labor.
Mr. Wilkerson responded that the capital investment funds would not go out through the RCCA but through other state partners, and this process has not been finalized. The working group member noted the need to balance procurement processes with disbursing money quickly.
* A working group member asked if police departments would be able to apply for the capital investment funds. Mr. Wilkerson responded that he was unsure how law enforcement would qualify. Mr. Johnson recommended that who was eligible to apply for this funding be clarified in the NOFO. Mr. Wilkerson noted that group could adjust language in the NOFO based on this recommendation; and noted that proposals would have to align with approved abatement uses focused on harm reduction treatment and recovery.
* Dr. Pickett asked if organizations could use this funding to purchase vehicles. Mr. Wilkerson responded that due to the Government Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) rules,funds could not be used to purchase vehicles, but only to lease them, and leasing vehicles does not align with a one-time investment structure.
* The other two working groups will provide feedback related to the capital investment recommendation. This feedback will be summarized and given to Mr. Wilkerson and Director Garcia. They will bring any questions or need for additional feedback to the January 14th meeting. The IORAB will review recommended funding at their January 30, 2025 meeting.
* A working group member asked for an update about the Steering Committee's vote on the three recommendations that were presented at the last meeting. Dr. Pickett responded that the Steering Committee voted to approve all three recommendations; these recommendations will go to the Attorney General for approval.
* Mr. Wilkerson shared that Jessica Reichert from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) gave a presentation at the Steering Committee meeting on law enforcement and stigma related to opioid use. Ms. Reichert has been asked to give this presentation to the IORAB.
Public Participation
No members of the public made comments.
Adjourn
Mr. Johnson thanked the participants and asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. John Werning made a motion to adjourn. Christopher Hoff seconded the motion. Mr. Johnson adjourned the meeting. The next meeting of the IORAB Access & Equity Working Group will be on January 14, 2025, from 10:30 - 11:30 AM.
