Prevention and Recovery Coalition recommends $600K‑ish in 2027 opioid allocations, prioritizing recovery housing and coordinator capacity
June 19, 2026 | Johnson County, Kansas
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The Johnson County Prevention and Recovery Coalition (PRC) presented its recommended FY2027 uses of county opioid‑settlement funds on June 18, focusing new allocations on recovery supports, prevention capacity and responder safety initiatives.
Tim Deweese, representing the coalition, said the recommendations were developed with a BOCC work group and county staff and follow a continuum‑of‑care framework that prioritizes prevention, treatment and recovery. Deweese said the 2027 recommendations would continue a substance‑use counselor position at the adult crisis residential center, continue a 0.5 FTE juvenile diversion officer, and elevate the prevention coordinator from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE to support coalition coordination and KPI reporting.
The PRC also recommended evaluating whether to contract for 1.5 FTE equivalents for recovery coaches and peer responders or to create those positions within the mental health center; Deweese emphasized evaluating community providers before authorizing new county FTEs. The coalition proposed $50,000 for recovery housing (to cover deposits/first‑month costs that help people move from residential treatment into sober living), roughly $127,000 for prevention and recovery initiatives, and a $100,000 allocation to United Community Services to manage a community grants pot for local nonprofit initiatives. Deweese also recommended $11,000 to cover opioid testing supplies for the county medical examiner and funds to buy responder safety gear and monitoring devices; the total county recommendation is just under the $600,000 earmarked for 2027.
Speakers noted positive trends in local metrics: county partners reported naloxone deployments declining (282 in 2023; 249 in 2024; 205 in 2025; and 73 so far in 2026), and that fentanyl prevalence in counterfeit pills has decreased regionally — even as stimulant‑related overdoses have emerged as a new challenge. Commissioners asked for clearer KPIs and outcome metrics and expressed a desire that the county’s opioid funds remain closely tied to opioid‑related prevention, treatment and recovery outcomes.
County staff said Johnson County is projected to receive $9,630,000 over 17 years from opioid settlements, and as of September 2025 had received $3.8 million with about $2.2 million remaining after prior allocations; the PRC said the proposed 2027 recommendations fit the statutory domains and that KPIs will be developed as the model matures.
Tim Deweese, representing the coalition, said the recommendations were developed with a BOCC work group and county staff and follow a continuum‑of‑care framework that prioritizes prevention, treatment and recovery. Deweese said the 2027 recommendations would continue a substance‑use counselor position at the adult crisis residential center, continue a 0.5 FTE juvenile diversion officer, and elevate the prevention coordinator from 0.5 FTE to 1.0 FTE to support coalition coordination and KPI reporting.
The PRC also recommended evaluating whether to contract for 1.5 FTE equivalents for recovery coaches and peer responders or to create those positions within the mental health center; Deweese emphasized evaluating community providers before authorizing new county FTEs. The coalition proposed $50,000 for recovery housing (to cover deposits/first‑month costs that help people move from residential treatment into sober living), roughly $127,000 for prevention and recovery initiatives, and a $100,000 allocation to United Community Services to manage a community grants pot for local nonprofit initiatives. Deweese also recommended $11,000 to cover opioid testing supplies for the county medical examiner and funds to buy responder safety gear and monitoring devices; the total county recommendation is just under the $600,000 earmarked for 2027.
Speakers noted positive trends in local metrics: county partners reported naloxone deployments declining (282 in 2023; 249 in 2024; 205 in 2025; and 73 so far in 2026), and that fentanyl prevalence in counterfeit pills has decreased regionally — even as stimulant‑related overdoses have emerged as a new challenge. Commissioners asked for clearer KPIs and outcome metrics and expressed a desire that the county’s opioid funds remain closely tied to opioid‑related prevention, treatment and recovery outcomes.
County staff said Johnson County is projected to receive $9,630,000 over 17 years from opioid settlements, and as of September 2025 had received $3.8 million with about $2.2 million remaining after prior allocations; the PRC said the proposed 2027 recommendations fit the statutory domains and that KPIs will be developed as the model matures.
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