Richmond County Commissioners Approve Opioid Settlement Grants; Place of Grace Requests Review

ROCKINGHAM — In Richmond County’s fight against the opioid epidemic, nearly $170,000 will be paid out to four local applicants — and one group is disappointed it was not recommended.

The Richmond County Board of Supervisors approved the spending of $169,999 from the opioid settlement in separate resolutions on Tuesday – even increasing the amount requested by one of the applicants.

Director of Social Services Robby Hall told commissioners that nine applications had been received following the recent Drug Endangered Family Task Force call for proposals.

(Disclosure: The author is a non-voting media representative of the Task Force but was not present when the recommendations were made.)

The original settlement would have paid the county $4.8 million over 18 years. In June, commissioners approved another settlement with Kroger that would pay the county an additional $255,616.56 over the next decade.

Hall said once funding dwindles, the county will no longer be able to fund all of its ongoing programs, so sustainability will need to be considered.

While the DEFT makes spending recommendations, the final decision on how the money is used rests with the commissioners.

The first solution was a $75,000 request from Richmond Community College for a program called “Creating a Better Future: Combating Addiction and Improving Job Prospects for Vulnerable Populations.”

The purpose of this initiative, according to the documents, is to “combat drug abuse and assist in the successful reintegration of addicts and individuals recently released from prison.”

“By partnering with local reintegration programs and addiction treatment facilities, the program will provide job training, critical life skills and comprehensive support services aimed at promoting sustainable recovery, preventing relapse and supporting long-term community integration.”

According to Hall, the RFP was designed to provide two grants of $75,000 each.

However, the second approved resolution, which allocates $56,075.05 to Richmond County Schools for the Youth Mental Health First Aid Responsive Raiders training program, left nearly $19,000 unfunded.

The remaining $18,923.95 was awarded to the Samaritan Colony Residential Treatment Program at the SECU Women’s Recovery Center.

Construction of the 14-bed facility began in summer 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Last year, the board approved nearly $200,000 from the opioid settlement for Samaritan Colony’s men’s treatment program.

Hall also introduced a resolution that would award $10,000 from a settlement agreement to Sandhills Best Care, another of the recent applicants, to help provide care to uninsured or underinsured patients who have been denied Medicaid benefits.

When it came time to vote, Commissioner Andy Grooms proposed doubling the amount to $20,000.

Commissioner Justin Dawkins asked for justification for Grooms’ proposal.

“I think with $20,000 they can do a lot more than these programs that have shown no results so far,” Grooms said.

After reviewing the community’s needs, Hall said DEFT wanted to see a program to help those who are not eligible for Medicaid but have difficulty paying out-of-pocket costs.

“The other part of the program that we think would be beneficial … would be for these individuals to eventually apply for Medicaid and become insured, which would then allow them to continue treatment,” Hall said.

Commissioner Jason Gainey abstained from voting because he is president of Sandhills Best Care. His wife, Dr. Tammie Gainey, opened the behavioral care facility in 2018 and the primary care facility in 2020.

During the open forum portion of the meeting – which has been held after regular business days for several months – representatives from Place of Grace asked the board to consider funding.

Hall confirmed that Place of Grace was another of the nine agencies that applied for a DEFT grant.

Deputy Director Theressa Smith told the RO on Monday that DEFT was unable to recommend all applicants, adding: “Each applicant has received feedback to help them with future applications.”

Debra Richardson, Place of Grace’s chief financial officer, said that during the meeting she was “listening to all the wonderful things RCC is going to do with the grant money” and thought, “But we’re already doing all that.”

She said the RCC initiative was “a wonderful program” and then asked, “Where will they live?”

“We’ve been doing this for six years and we’ve never received a dime from the county,” Richardson said. “But what we’ve gotten are poor, lost souls who have been dropped off at our gates because they have nowhere to go.”

According to Richardson, PoG has an emergency cold weather shelter in the winter, “because the drug addicts would freeze to death and have nowhere to go.”

“This is ugly. This is not pretty. This is not a part of the community that anyone wants to deal with,” Richardson continued. “But that’s what the settlement money is for — for these people.”

“And you represent every single drug addict in this county as well as the people in this courtroom … and I’m not sure that what happened here tonight – the fact that we’re not speaking until after you vote – I’m not sure that’s the best representation of what this county can do.”

Richardson said she wanted to be angry at every single commissioner: “How could you do this? You know what we do.”

Richardson sighed before continuing, “But I’m not doing it because the county tells us to, and I’m not doing it because of money. We’re doing it because God told us to do it.”

She then referred the commission members to the Gospel of Matthew (verses 35-36, NIV): “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me in; I needed clothing and you clothed me; I was sick and you cared for me; I was in prison and you came to me.”

Richardson urged commissioners to ask themselves at each meeting: “Is this the best use of the agreement?

“Because I’m pretty sure it was intended to help the people who are under the bridge and the people who are in the crack houses,” Richardson said. “I think that’s what it was intended to do, and we have proven to have helped those people.”

“We have also helped some young people to embark on this path,” added her husband, Pastor Gary Richardson, when she finished. “We have proven ourselves and helped countless people.”

Gary Richardson further said that Place of Grace is currently working with Richmond Community College for a reintegration program to provide education and job skills, as well as with Sandhills Best Care.

“One of the biggest obstacles for these guys trying to recover is having a safe place to lay their head. Not having to go to the doctor and get a shot and living next door to a drug house or around drugs – that’s very difficult,” said Gary Richardson.

The pastor added that Place of Grace has “brought eight people back to life with narcotics” and detoxified three people in the past year, and has also worked with Daymark Recovery Services.

“I don’t begrudge anyone who gets grants. They are needed wherever they go because they are for the people in our community,” said Gary Richardson.

Place of Grace also provides housing for people undergoing treatment at Samaritan Colony, Richardson said, questioning why the women’s facility receives funding when it is not even operational yet.

“I’m just wondering why we weren’t considered,” Gary Richardson said. “Because the only explanation I have for why we weren’t allowed is, ‘The church would do it anyway.'”

“It’s annoying because the church has been doing this for about 12 years anyway,” the pastor continued. “We didn’t go into this building with a grant and we’re not going to leave just because we didn’t get one. That’s not what it’s about, it’s about the partnership.”

“It seems we have a lot of partnerships with everyone except the county, and we would love to work with you.”