Item:
Title
Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 26BCC057 to recognize $50,396 in year 4 of grant funding to the Office of Emergency Services-EMS Division (OES-EMS) from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (MMDDSA), and to authorize the County Manager to sign and execute all contracts for authorized and approved uses associated with the grant program throughout the grant’s period of performance.
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: March 9, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to review and approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 26BCC057 to recognize $50,396 in year 4 of grant funding to the Office of Emergency Services-EMS Division (OES-EMS) from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (MHDDSUS), and to authorize the County Manager to sign and execute all contracts for authorized and approved uses associated with the grant program throughout the grant’s period of performance.
The EMS Bridge Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program grant’s purpose is to develop or expand services for the purpose of reducing opioid overdose related deaths. This grant allows OES-EMS to provide services to eligible individuals throughout Durham County and periodically reports on performance measures relevant to these services. This program supports Community Paramedics responding to individuals with an opioid overdose who refuse transport to emergency departments (EDs) for treatment. Under the supervision of a prescriber, specially trained paramedics induct a person on buprenorphine (i.e., medication-assisted treatment) after an overdose event. Then the Community Paramedics and/or Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) follow up and continue to provide medication and support for up to seven days until the person can be referred to other appropriate opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment.
The grant originally had a period of performance from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2025. The full grant award was for up to $350,000 in reimbursable funds over a 3-year period. The BOCC approved year one award of $73,660.06 in the November 14, 2022, regular session. The BOCC approved year two award of $129,866.61 during the October 9, 2023, regular session. The BOCC approved year three award of $125,981.00 during the November 12, 2024, regular session. In 2025, the NCDHHS MHDDSUS added an additional $50,396 to this grant and extended the end date to September 30, 2026. OES is now requesting approval of the year four grant amount of $50,396 for a period of performance of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. Currently, this is the final year of this grant.
OES-EMS collaborates with the Durham Joins Together to Save Lives (DJT) task force to enhance and expand services for the purpose of reducing opioid overdose related deaths throughout Durham County. The project, the EMS Bridge MAT Program accomplishes this in three program-specific ways: (1) provide field-induced buprenorphine to people Durham County EMS has treated for an opioid-related emergency, (2) provide a warm hand off/referral to community Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) or Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) providers while bridging MAT up to seven days from the initial induction, and (3) survey EMS Bridge MAT Program enrollees to determine treatment success at 30 days, 90 days, and six months.
The EMS Bridge MAT Program addresses the increases in overdose deaths and illness in several ways. (1) Increases accessibility to MAT to people who have challenges obtaining these services, especially underserved populations (2) Provides warm referrals to community OTP/OBOT providers that can continue the MAT and provide needed psychological supports, recovery treatment, and assistance with social determinants of health. (3) Reduces the occurrence of opioid-related death by helping persons begin treatment with research-based MAT. (4) Reduce racial disparities in rates of substance use by reaching people at the time of the overdose so they do not become lost in the follow-up milieu.
OES-EMS will follow all County purchasing and contract guidance. Payments to the County under this award will be made available through reimbursement from monthly Financial Status Reports (FSR) submitted to NCDHHS MMDDSUS.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This item aligns with Durham County Strategic Goal: Safe and Resilient Community
Resource Persons: Helen Tripp, EMS MIH Program Manager, Mark Lockhart, NRP, Director Office of Emergency Services
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board review and approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 26BCC057 in the amount of $50,396 for year three grant award from the NCDHHS-MHDDSUS EMS Bridge MAT Program grant and authorize the County Manager to sign and execute all contracts and purchases for authorized and approved uses associated with the grant program throughout the grant’s period of performance.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________