Durham County board hears Safety and Wellness Task Force plan, eyes $22.5 million in settlement funds for opioid, diversion and jail reforms

The Durham County Board of Commissioners on April 1 heard final recommendations from the Community Safety and Wellness Task Force and an initial plan for spending an anticipated $22.5 million in Wave Two settlement funds.

Dwane Brinson, Assistant County Manager for Community Safety, told the board the funds will be used for a set of priorities that staff identified as falling under county authority: expanding pre‑ and post‑arrest diversion, addressing conditions in the county jail, reforming the Department of Social Services and related courts, supporting re‑entry services, enhancing the county response to the opioid epidemic, and expanding wellness and restorative practices. "We created an internal work group to establish a process, listen to ideas and set funding priorities to ensure funds reach the community," Brinson said.

Staff enumerated specific opioid-related uses under consideration: a harm‑reduction program; recruitment for an Opioid Settlement Manager position; hiring a medical director for the detention center; and a proposal from Emergency Services to expand community paramedics. Brinson noted the county is also evaluating naloxone vending machines, with staff estimating a $50,000 cost for the device procurement.

County Manager Sowell told commissioners that discussions were underway to expand the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team (HEART) countywide but cautioned that implementation is complex and cost estimates vary widely depending on the scope. Brinson said costs for a single HEART pillar could range from about $35,000 to as much as $1.6 million, depending on program components and scale.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate with courts, the Department of Social Services and the Sheriff’s Office on budget requests and program design; the board also requested the task force publish its reports on the county website. Staff said they will invite Sheriff Birkhead to present budget responses related to jail and detention needs.

The presentation did not include final allocations or a detailed multi‑year spending plan. Staff described the session as a working discussion to develop priorities and directed staff to return with more detailed cost estimates and implementation options for board consideration.