8/26/26 Opioid Abatement Fund Committee

The Coffee County, Tennessee, Opioid Abatement Fund Committee held its monthly meeting on August 26, 2026. It approved the July 9 minutes. The main discussion concerned how previously approved opioid-abatement funding would be administered for recovery and job-skills programs, including Be the Bush and Miriam House. The committee and representatives discussed replacing or clarifying budget line items—particularly two manager salary positions estimated at about $13,000—with a participant-based payment formula, supported by participant assessments and documentation. They also discussed how to verify a participant’s Coffee County connection, including criminal-justice involvement, family, church, volunteer, or work ties, while using ID numbers rather than names in public records to protect privacy. No new contract award or final funding vote was identified.

The committee also reviewed a proposed 180 Degrees Ministry recovery course: a 12-week program meeting once weekly, with a discussed cost of $300 per participant and expenses that may include instruction, materials, and facility rental. Members raised questions about participant recruitment, program capacity, completion rates, and sustainability; the transcript does not show a final funding approval. Representatives were asked to provide a revised written formula by Monday, and the committee discussed periodic reporting on enrollment, spending, and outcomes. The next meeting was set for September 23, 2026.