Subject:
Title
Approval: Request the Board of County Commissioners approve a recommendation to provide $5,908,640 in funding for Opioid Abatement services within Brevard County
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Fiscal Impact:
FY 2025-2026 & FY 2026-2027: $5,908,640 budgeted in the Opioid Fund 1631
Dept/Office:
Housing and Human Services
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners approve the recommendations of the Together in Partnership (TIP) Advisory Board Recommendations Subcommittee to provide $5,908,640 in funding to Opioid Abatement services in the areas of criminal justice involved persons, treatment, recovery, and prevention and authorize:
1. The County Manager to execute any contracts associated with Opioid Abatement Services upon approval of Risk Management and the County Attorney’s Office;
2. The Housing and Human Services Department Director to execute any future amendment(s) or modification(s) upon approval by the County Attorney, Purchasing Services and Risk Management; and
3. The County Manager to execute all necessary budget amendments (BCRs).
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Summary Explanation and Background:
On October 26, 2021, Brevard County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved the County to act as a “Qualified County” under the Florida Opioid settlement Plan and adopted a Brevard County Opioid Misuse Abatement Plan in accordance with the Core Strategies and Scheduled Uses mandated by the Florida Attorney General’s Office. The Board approved the implementation option to create two standing subcommittees (including representation from municipalities) under the TIP Advisory Board. On December 7, 2021, the BoCC approved an update to the TIP Resolution creating two subcommittees to annually prioritize activities (Review Committee) in the abatement plan for inclusion in Request for Applications (RFA) and a Recommendation Committee to recommend activities/agencies for funding in accordance with the Plan.
On August 22, 2025, Brevard County Purchasing Services released the Opioid Misuse Abatement Funding Request for Application (RFA). On September 4, 2025, Housing & Human Services and Purchasing Services held the mandatory Opioid RFA pre-proposal meeting. After the September 18, 2025, RFA closing date, twenty-one (21) applications moved forward to the TIP Recommendations Sub-Committee.
On November 21, 2025, the TIP Advisory Board Recommendations Sub-Committee voted unanimously to recommend funding to the following:
• $2,047,200- Circles of Care, Inc.- Address the Needs of Criminal Justice Involved Persons
• $1,700,000- Circles of Care, Inc.- Other Areas of Concentration (expansion of Mobile Medical Assisted Treatment)
• $780,500- Specialized Treatment Education and Prevention Services, Inc. (STEPS)-Address the Needs of Criminal Justice Involved Persons
• $785,030- STEPS- Other Areas of Concentration (Support Recovery)
• $597,910- Recovery Connections of Central Florida-Support People in Treatment and Recovery
Circles of Care, Inc. (Circles) has served as Brevard County’s Community Mental Health Center since 1963 and provides behavioral healthcare programs through a range of services designed to support individuals and families dealing with mental health and substance use disorders (SUD). Circles expanded their programs targeted at opioid use disorders (OUD) more than eight years ago. Circles will expand and enhance existing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services in Brevard County. Combined with counseling and psychological support, MAT is considered the gold standard for treating OUD, providing a comprehensive and holistic approach to aid individuals on their path toward recovery. Circles will also provide jail-based medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated adults with opioid use disorder to reduce opioid-related morbidity and mortality, prevent overdose following release from incarceration, improve continuity of care, and support successful community reentry.
Specialized Treatment Education and Prevention Services (STEPS) is a private not-for-profit, community-based organization founded in 1983 that provides a continuum of quality, comprehensive substance use treatment and education services to individuals, including those with co-occurring disorders in Brevard, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. STEPS will provide access to all Brevard County indigent residents to participate in Drug Court, offering an alternative to incarceration, reducing recidivism by addressing root cause of criminal activity and substance use, and supporting recovery from substance use disorder to reduce future criminal activity. STEPS Living Room Project will primarily target adult indigent Brevard County residents in need of access to care who live with an OUD disorder and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. STEPS will increase access to behavioral health supports by providing wraparound services and linkage to care.
Recovery Connections of Central Florida (RCCF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Recovery Community Organization serving Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties. RCCF services are open to all, however they prioritize uninsured and underinsured individuals, recognizing their unique challenges accessing care. Since launching in 2022, RCCF has served over 3,567 unduplicated participants across their service area. RCCF will serve individuals seeking assistance for themselves or families related to the use of opioids and other substances. RCCF will help individuals sustain long-term recovery by combining peer-based support with practical wraparound services. Their program is designed to meet participants where they are and guide them toward stability, self-sufficiency, and connection. The program focuses on individuals transitioning from treatment facilities or moving through other vulnerable phases of the recovery process.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None