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To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Richmond Ambulance Authority Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Richmond Ambulance Authority for the purpose of funding a Peer Recovery Specialist project to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, be and is hereby authorized to execute a Richmond Ambulance Authority Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Richmond Ambulance Authority for the purpose of funding a Peer Recovery Specialist project to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond. The Richmond Ambulance Authority Grant Agreement shall be approved as to form by the City Attorney and shall be substantially in the form of the document attached to this ordinance.
§ 2. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
City of Richmond
Intracity Correspondence
DATE: March 27, 2025
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Danny Avula, Mayor
THROUGH: Sabrina Joy-Hogg, Interim Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Sheila White, Director of Finance
THROUGH: Meghan Brown, Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
THROUGH: Shunda Giles, Interim DCAO for Human Services
FROM: J.D. Ratliff, Policy Advisor
RE: Authorization of grant contract with the Richmond Ambulance Authority for Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) Peer Recovery Specialist project
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Richmond Ambulance Authority Grant Agreement between the City of Richmond and Richmond Ambulance Authority for the purpose of funding a Peer Recovery Specialist project to combat the opioid crisis in the City of Richmond.
BACKGROUND: Ordinance 2024-227 adopted on September 23, 2024, authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $482,711.00 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, to amend the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Special Fund Budget by creating certain new special funds for the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the total amount appropriated to the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services’ new special funds by $482,711.00. One of the Special Funds is titled OAA Peer Recovery Services Special Fund is allotted $250,000 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
This award from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority granted to the City of Richmond is intended to provide subgrants to integrate Peer Recovery Specialists into areas such as emergency response, detox, treatment, recovery, and other facilities to enhance the continuum of care for individuals affected by opioid use disorder. Subgrantee organizations have been chosen through a competitive and transparent application process. A Peer Recovery Specialist is a self-identified person with lived experience with a mental health and/or substance use disorder who is in successful and ongoing recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorders. Peer Recovery Specialists use their lived experience to support another person’s recovery journey. Investing in Peer Recovery Specialists is an evidence-based approach to opioid remediation.
On October 24, 2024, the Opioid Response Team released a request for grant applications with a published intent to award grants between $5,000 and $75,000 for the purpose of funding projects centered around the integration and expansion of Peer Recovery Specialists within the City of Richmond. The Richmond Ambulance Authority has been selected as a recipient of these funds to expand Peer Recovery Specialist services within the City of Richmond.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Opioid abatement and remediation strategies utilized by the City of Richmond have been and continue to be informed by significant stakeholder engagement and developed with direct input and support from external agencies and subject matter experts, including those on the Richmond Opioid Task Force.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: RES. 2022-R013 declaring opioid drug overdose deaths as a public health crisis in the City of Richmond; Richmond Opioid Task Force.
FISCAL IMPACT: The funds used for this project are from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. This will decrease the Special Fund Budget by $67,777. There is no city match requirement.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: May 12, 2025
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: May 27, 2025
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent agenda
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Budget and Strategic Planning, Finance, Neighborhood and Community Services
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: Res. No. 2018-R094; Ord. No. 2021-234; Res. No. 2021-R078; Resolution 2022-R013; Res. No. 2023-R010; Ord. No. 2024-099; Ord. No. 2024-227.
ATTACHMENTS: Opioid Abatement Authority PRS acceptance letter and award package
STAFF: Jason Alley, Policy Advisor for Opioid Response Coordination, 804-852-4838, Jason.Alley@rva.gov <mailto:Jason.Alley@rva.gov>
J.D. Ratliff, Policy Advisor, 804-646-6056, James.Ratliff@rva.gov <mailto:James.Ratliff@rva.gov>