Maine Recovery Council
November 9, 2023
The meeting was opened by Chair Pat Kimball. She thanked the Council members for their participation in the public forum of November 2, 2023. She then introduced the recently hired operations manager, Mary Coyne. Council members introduced themselves. The minutes of October 10, 2023 were approved (Gary-Allen/Vincent) and the roll was called. There were no dissenting votes.
Ben Mann provivided a report on the finances and how the dollars are laid out. There is $17.3 million in actual cash at this time and he anticipates receiving more soon. He then provided several optional methods for distributing the funding noting, however, that providers will start ot rely on funding for both short-term contracts and across time. His question, prior to providing examples of methodologies was: "At the end of 18 years, where do we want the state to be?"
The four examples, complete with possible dollar amounts:
	A - equal on-going funding, some one time payments ($7 mil/year)
	B - only on-going funding ($10 mil, $8 mil in year 2, $5.95 mil by year 7)
	C - taper on-going funding, frontload one time ($10 m, then $8 m, $5 m, to $3 m; 	frontload $10 m in year 1 and $5.66 in year 2)
	D - taper on-going funding, spread out one time funding ($5 m every other year, $10 	m for 2 years, $8 m for 5 years, $5 m for five years, and $4 m for 3 years)
Reactions from those around the table: difficult decisions going forward; sustainability plans; recommendations from the Finance Committee; how to help infrastructure planning for sustainability get built into an application; being more stable than the state, no political connections; do a variety of projects and slowly taper off funding. General agreements: tapering off makes sense; there is a need to facilitate collaboration with others who are getting funding; identifying priorities today will be helpful; fund things that will be sustained, like a recovery center.
The discussion was turned over to Dr. Kim Johnson. She summarized the responses from the survey:
	54% - support people in treatment and recovery
	51% - treat opioid and substance abuse disorders
	50% - connect people who need support to the support they need
Concerning recommendations:
	60% of 62 - infrastructure access and improvements
	72% of 430 - big and small investments
	65% of 431 - supported new and expanding existing programs
Dr. Johnson did ask the questions - what were towns and cities doing with their dollars and how was the AG's office planning to use their funds. Mary will begin gathering data for the Council regarding these questions next week.
Dr. Johnson turned to the exercise she said would get to priorities. The following were mentioned by Council members:
	Recovery center in every county in the State
	Beds: detox, short term and long term residential
	SUD workforce development
	Recovery support - recovery coaches
	MOUD
	Anti-stigma program aimed at health care professionals
	rural focus
	direct flexible funding for those already in programs (housing, basic needs)
	transportation
	SSP funding - less restrictive
	respite housing - recovery support - beds
	expand shelter beds
	funds for programs led by marginalized populations (setting aside dollars and the 	group would decide how to use them)
	earlier childhood prevention - K-8
	Integrated primary care, behavioral health, SUD linkages - one program to the next
	loan forgiveness for people working in the field
	more sustainable funding for recovery centers in counties
	mobile outreach - harm reduction
	SUD curriculum in schools, get upstream
	reimbursement for returned needles (like the bottle deposit - five cents)
	dental care/dentures for people in recovery
	BARR in schools
	Peer recovery support services
	Services to support the elderly, those raising grandchildren
	safe supply pilot instead of a contaminated drug supply
	School-based behavioral health funds
	funds for a crisis receiving center in Bangor
	crisis receiving center in Augusta - modeled after the one in the legislation
	tribal recovery center
	Centers CCBHC, Spurwink, Sweetser, like a federally qualified health center
	family centers - specific with families trained in peer recovery
	Maine Prevention Network - in the nine public health districts
	Overdose prevention sites
	fund small programs - TA funds - infrastructure grant writers for sustainability
	Expanding funding for MARR certified recovery residences
	Community coalitions
	recovery coach funding with a liveable wage	
	funding for research (Jackson Lab) and equipment
	anti-stigma campaigns
	MOUD - difficulties in finding clinicians
	Maine Youth Leadership Development Council
	Housing First - low barrier
	Anti-Stigma Foundation - evidence based, shovel ready, community-wide, UPenn
	Increased capacity for treatment in hospitals
	PASS
	harm reduction education for medical providers
	support for schools - beyond the regular school day
	housing scholarship funds
	non-injectable smoking supplies
	MOUD - low barrier, especially in rural areas
	support recovery residences in counties where there are none
	general research beyond/in addition to, Jackson Lab
	Naloxone education for the general public
	screening for young people
	Incarcerated populations - sublimate, 30-day injectable
	culturally responsive treatment centers
	advocacy by people
	phones/phone cards
Dr.Johnson then directed the group to narrow the list and gave each person five votes. She wanted to find the top vote-getter in each category. The results as follows:
	Prevention: BARR, flexible funding
	Recovery Support: no clear winners
	Treatment: MOUD, detox centers
	Harm reduction: no clear winners
Pat asked that the results of this excercise be listed as an agenda item for December. Joe mentioned that the Grants Committee might do some combining of the items to move things along, the Grants Committee meets Nov 28. He asked for committee members to wait after the meeting adjourned. The Finance Committee will meet in two weeks. Governance will be meeting Nov 21 to create a slate of officers for the annual meeting (first meeting of 2024). Pat encouraged members to submit nominations to her for the one-year positions. 
The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 pm. The next Council meeting will be December 14 from 1:30 - 4:30.