Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution amends the 2021 Public Health Operating Budget to accept $146,477 from the WI Department of Health Services and creates an LTE project Disease Intervention Specialist position to expand needle exchange services. The term of the grant is January 1 - December 31, 2021 with four, one-year renewal periods. The grant fully funds the position and there is no match requirement.
Title
A Resolution Amending the 2021 Public Health Operating Budget to accept $146,477 from the WI Department of Health Services and creating a project Disease Intervention Specialist position to expand needle exchange services.
Body
WHEREAS, Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) has been providing Needle Exchange (NEX) program services, and providing harm reduction supplies and treatment referrals since 1996 in Dane County. The program provides syringes supplies necessary to prevent HIV, Hepatitis C, and other bloodborne pathogens among people who inject drugs. The program follows best practice by providing these supplies at no cost to the client and with minimal barriers. The philosophy of PHMDC’s NEX program is to provide stigma and barrier free access to harm reduction supplies; and
WHEREAS, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for services over the past decade, with a 1,200% increase from 2010-2019 for safer injection supplies. In 2019, PHMDC provided over 6,000 exchanges, 211,000 syringes, and 450 Naloxone kits. From January through October 2020, PHMDC has provided over 1,100 Naloxone kits; and
WHEREAS, PHMDC recognizes the importance of primary prevention to prevent communicable disease transmission, as well as tertiary prevention to prevent overdose deaths amongst people who inject drugs and we approach the work through a health and racial equity lens. Data suggests that there is a greater need to outreach to the African American community as the Black-White disparity in opioid overdose deaths in Dane County is more pronounced than the disparity statewide. For the years where opioid deaths occurred in 2016-2018, the Black death rate was 24.1 per 100,000 people, compared to the death rate of 16.9 per 100,000 for Whites during the same timeframe (Data from the Wisconsin Interactive Health Statistics Opioid Module 2016-2018); and
WHEREAS to address this gap, WI Department of Health Services has awarded PHMDC $146,477 of new grant funding to support this program from January 1 - December 31, 2021, with four, one-year renewal periods; and
WHEREAS, PHMDC proposes using this grant to fund 1.0 FTE Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) position to support the expansion of NEX services and to integrate services provided by the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Clinic and HIV Partner Services. The DIS will connect people who inject drugs in the community with harm reduction tools, will connect them to clinic staff at the SRH Clinic for screening and treatment, and if appropriate connect client’s partners to HIV Partner services. DIS staff will provide blood draws to screen for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C and are able to provide rapid screens for HIV in the community; and
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Agreement creating the joint City-County health department requires approval of both the Dane County Board and the City Council for a new grant of over $50,000; and
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Agreement creating the joint City-County health department requires approval of both the Dane County Board and the City Council for the creation of any new positions; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Madison approves amending the Public Health operating budget to accept these funds; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of Madison approves the creation of the above position authority.