TITLE
Title
RECEIVE AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION FROM BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE WOMEN'S WITH CHILDREN RECOVERY CENTER
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Commissioner Kay Cashion
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BACKGROUND
Background
In January 2022, the Guilford County Community Survey identified Behavioral Healthcare and Substance Use as one of the top five priorities for investment of ARPA dollars. In October 2022, the Guilford County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) allocated $3Million of ARPA SLFRF funds towards development of a substance use recovery housing program for pregnant women and women with children.
Currently there are no residential treatment programs in Guilford County for pregnant and parenting individuals. Going outside the county for treatment takes women away from their natural supports, creates transportation barriers, removes children from their school and social networks, and leaves women in unfamiliar communities once discharged from the program. The need for this program is evidenced by foster care and in-home service involvement due to substance misuse. In 2022, 69 children entered foster care due to substance abuse with 61% of those children between the ages of zero to five. Of families entering foster care, 52% had a single mother head of household. Additionally, in 2022, 52 children were involved in in-home services due to substance misuse with 54% of those children between the ages of zero to five.
Over the past year, Guilford County staff and committee members have evaluated similar programs to develop initial program cost models and survey potential locations for the program; traveling to sites such as: UNC Horizons in Orange County; RHCC Our House in Robeson; Mary Benson located in Buncombe and Fellowship Hall and GRTF in Guilford County.
Additionally, county representatives consulted with state partners in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) as well as other agencies providing this service across the state to learn more about program operations and requirements. In September 2023, the BOCC formally created the Women's and Children Residential Recovery Services Planning Committee.
Selection of a program site and living arrangement type was identified as an anchor decision for program development. Of the existing programs around the state, the committee identified three main living arrangement types, (1) house, (2) lodge, and (3) apartment. Committee members and staff researched and toured potential site locations including the Guilford County Gibson Park Facility. From these locations, the Women's and Children Residential Recovery Services Planning Committee is unanimously recommending the selection of the Gibson Park Facility to provide this service in a lodge-type living arrangement.
This facility is currently being used to provide a similar service, residential recovery for individual adults. Specific facility upfit needs will be developed through further architectural and program design work. The Gibson Park facility has room capacity to provide residential recovery services for up to 28 women. The program will provide 24-hour residential substance use recovery services for pregnant women or women with physical custody of children aged 12 and under. Programming will include substance abuse comprehensive outpatient treatment (SACOT), case management, and transition planning and supports.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
1)Direct staff to move forward with site selection of the Gibson Park Facility (Harrelson Building) located 5209 West Wendover, High Point for the future location of a Guilford County Women's with Children Recovery Center; and 4) authorize staff secure a consultant to advise on program, policy and revenue maximization, 3) issue RFP for Program Service Provider as well as 4) a RFP for Design/Build Construction for necessary upfits to the site. Funds to be allocated from identified APRA dollars and Opioid funding.
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