COLORADO REGION 5 OPIOID ABATEMENT COUNCIL
Quarterly Progress Report | Strategic Plan Years 3-4
Reporting Period: 1/1/25-3/31/25
Region 5 Fiscal Agent:
Eagle County Public Health & Environment
Name and Contact of Individual Preparing Report:
Karina Schorr | Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council Coordinator, ECPHE | karina.schorr@eaglecounty.us | 970-328-9811
1. Overview
Project Accomplishments
The full Council convened for the first 2025 bi-annual meeting on February 19th. Meeting agenda and notes can be found here: 2.19.25 R5 Opioid Abatement Council Meeting Agenda & Notes
Administrative Items
Co-Chair self nomination: no self-nominations. Interested parties were encouraged to reach out to Jarid Rollins and Karina Schorr
Lapsed Council members: per the Region’s bylaws, Council members who had not attended any of the past 3 consecutive bi-annual meetings are subject to removal. With the exception of two members identified as voting member proxies (Matt Sherr (Eagle) and Lindsay Maisch (Pitkin)) the Region 5 voting members voted unanimously to remove lapsed members. Removed members are listed on the Lapsed Members tab on the Roster, and will still receive communication as community stakeholders. Updated roster and list of lapsed members can be found here: Region 5 Opioid Abatment Council Roster - updated 2.26.25.xlsx
Contractor Updates
The Council heard updates on the three primary contracts under the 2022 Strategic Plan. A full summary of the work under these contracts can be found in Section 2 of this report.
Funding Status
The Region’s estimate for funds has gone up due to some additional opioid settlements, and will likely increase again due to a significant pending settlement with the Sackler family/Purdue. We do not know exactly how much will be added to that total.
Region 5 submitted two applications for the third round of the Infrastructure Share grant, announced in December 2024:
Administrative Support Application - maintain support for Karina Schorr’s position for an additional two years
Requested funds: $125,000
Proposed Matching Funds (from Regional Share): $127,498.60
High Rockies Harm Reduction Mobile Offices - increase sustainability and safety of mobile harm reduction services
Requested funds: $242,643.24
Proposed Matching Funds (from Regional Share): $46,000
Total requested funding: $367,643.24
The Council also reviewed expenses to date and remaining 2022/24 Strategic Plan expenses. These expenses can be found in slides 19 and 20 of this slideshow: 2.19.25 Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council Meeting
Strategic Plan 2025/26
Karina reviewed the Strategic Planning process and presented the workgroup’s recommendations for 2025/26. New funding opportunities are highlighted in green:
Administrative – Eagle County Treasury fees (estimated): $20,000 over two years
Harm Reduction – High Rockies Harm Reduction contract extension: $275,474.00 over two years
Leadership, Planning & Coordination (LPC) – OMNI Data Dashboard maintenance contract: $60,000 over two years
LPC – Personnel (Karina Schorr salary and fringe): $190,593.00 over two years
LPC – Council Member COAC Conference Sponsorship: $10,000 over two years (not reflected in COST, see Section 3. Financial Status for more information)
Prevention – Anti-Stigma & Education Campaign contract extension: $237,000.00 over two years
Prevention – $40,000/year ($80,000 total) for Youth Programming Mini-Grants
Treatment, $10,000/year ($20,000 total) for targeted Treatment access in Lake County
Treatment & Recovery, $250,000/year ($500,000 total) for projects that create pathways between treatment systems, support providers in treating patients with OUD/SUD, and increase case management
The Strategic Plan as presented was approved by the voting members. A contracting workgroup will convene and develop the Youth Programming Mini-Grant and Treatment/Recovery RFP. Karina Schorr submitted the anticipated spending and categories to the Colorado AG’s office for the March 15th deadline.
Challenges & Barriers
The Eagle County Government Attorney’s office has been experiencing staffing challenges. This has resulted in longer than expected timelines when drafting and executing contracts. New contractors have been advised that this process may take at least 8 weeks, potentially longer.
Council Changes
Kelsy Maxie, Deputy Director of Lake County Public Health, is filling in as the Lake County voting member until the all-newly elected Board of County Commissioners can be introduced to the Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council.
Three new Council members were on-boarded during this reporting period:
Portia DeSimone - Summit County
Rob Shearon - Eagle County
Jeremiah Grantham - Lake County
Per the Region 5 Bylaws, Council members who had missed three consecutive Council meetings (and had not been involved in a workgroup) have been removed from the Region 5 roster. A new tab on the Roster document has been added to track lapsed members: Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council Roster - updated 2.26.25.xlsx
All Council members were encouraged to review the active representatives from their county and consider if there are any gaps that should be filled. Prospective Council members can contact Karina Schorr directly.
2. Contractor Progress & Outcomes
Anti-Stigma & Education Campaign | Effct LLC
Deliverable Status
Effct’s Work Plan, with notes, status updates, and links to relevant documents can be found in this Google Sheets document: R5COAC Work Plan/Contractor Scope Tracking
All deliverables are currently on schedule.
Data Gathered/Reach
In this reporting period the Community Compass campaign continued to publish and sponsor digital content in all 5 counties of Region 5. Data provided by Effct during this reporting period covers the entirety of 2024, rather than the final quarter of the year.
Data for 2024 can be found in this document: Community Compass 2024 EOY Report
Website
16,924 Site Sessions
13,709 Unique Visitors
1,721 clicks on resource pages
Most Visited Pages:
1. Resources
2. Education
3. Pitkin County Resources
4. Eagle County Resources
5. Garfield County Resources
Socials
Facebook
3,461,216 Impressions (number of times a post was displayed to a user, regardless if the user engaged with the post)
21,461 Link Clicks
Instagram
1,711,642 Impressions
8,108 Link Clicks
Most Visited Website Pages
1. Resources
2. Education
3. Pitkin County Resources
4. Community Events
5. Eagle County Resources
Accomplishments
In this reporting period Effct conducted the additional community engagement for Region 5 Spanish speaking residents to gauge the cultural relevance of the campaign materials to date. The full report on those sessions can be found here: Spanish Speaking Focus Groups Final Report
In this quarter the Community Compass (CC) continued to publish social media posts featuring local recovery stories and educational content with the goal of directing traffic to the Community Compass and featured resource websites. All content is posted on social media in English and Spanish. The website can be switched back and forth between English and Spanish.
Content featured this quarter:
January 10th - Resource Feature: Upcoming Sober Events
January 16th - Educational Material: What is Dry January?
January 22nd - Educational Material: How to take first steps toward recovery
January 27th - Community Member Story: Luis Guzman
February 3rd - Community Member Story: Luis Guzman Video
February 6th - Educational Material: What is Sober Housing?
February 20th - Resource Feature: Medication Take Back Boxes
February 28th - Educational Material: Tips for Responsible Pain Mgmt
March 3rd - Educational Material: Injury Prevention & Skiing/Snowboarding
March 8th - Community Member Story: Becky Gordon
March 12th - Community Member Story: Becky Gordon Video
March 21st - Educational Material: High-Altitude Party Risks
March 27th - Educational Material: How does substance use impact your time on the mountain?
Upcoming Content
April - Party & Result Culture
May - Health Behavior Change & Combatting Loneliness
June - TBD
At the close of this reporting period Effct had finalized the print materials design and was collecting orders from organizations across Region 5. Print materials began to arrive to Region 5 stakeholders at the beginning of April 2025.
Challenges/Barriers/Changes
The Contracting workgroup, in addition to developing the next round of RFP/RFA’s will also guide the extension of current contracts. This group will review and may revise the scope for Effct’s new contract. Desired changes for this new scope may include deliverables for non-digital marketing materials and refined reporting requirements.
Harm Reduction | High Rockies Harm Reduction
Deliverable Status
High Rockies Harm Reduction’s Work Plan, with notes, status updates, and links to relevant documents, can be found in this Google Sheets document: R5COAC Work Plan/Contractor Scope Tracking
High Rockies Harm Reduction is behind on the following objectives:
Goal 1, Objective 1.e: Train 1-2 FT/PT Harm Reduction Peer Support Specialists
Goal 2, Objective 1. B: Identify high need areas and propose a schedule of weekly service provisions in ID’d areas for each of the R5OAC counties to the HR work group
While 1 FT Peer Support specialist has been hired and high need areas have been identified, it is not feasible for HRHR to expand weekly services in Eagle, Lake and Summit counties without a 2nd Peer Support Specialist (PSS) dedicated to the Eastern portion of the Region. The travel required of the current team, all of whom live in the Roaring Fork Valley, to provide weekly services in 3 counties 50-100 miles from Garfield and Pitkin counties, is not sustainable. The Region will be applying for COAG Infrastructure Share funds to purchase vehicles that can help HRHR expand and stabilize services across each of the five counties. The Region 5 workgroup continues to support the contractor in getting connected to community partners. If no 2nd PSS is identified the contracted funds will not be invoiced and could be used to otherwise support this crucial work.
Data Gathered/Reach
View the full HRHR 2024 Q4 Data spreadsheet here: HRHR Data Jan '25 - Feb '25.xlsx
During this reporting period High Rockies Harm Reduction (HRHR) distributed the following supplies across Region 5:
Narcan (two doses per box): 178
Kloxxado (two doses per box): 8
Intramuscular Naloxone: 0
Fentanyl Test Strips: 327
Xylazine Test Strips: 20
IV Kits: 9
Sterile Snorting Kits: 13
While participant data is somewhat difficult to capture for all of HRHR’s services (many events take place during large scale community events i.e. concerts, festivals) the below data reflects participants at the service events under the Region 5 contract. A participant is defined as an individual who engages with HRHR at a service event AND takes at least one piece of supplies (ie Narcan, fentanyl test strip, sterile injection kit etc.) The below data does not include participants at community-level events.
Eagle County participant interactions in this reporting period: 5
Garfield County participant interactions in this reporting period: 33
Lake County participant interactions in this reporting period: 10
Pitkin County participant interactions in this reporting period: 47
Summit County participant interactions in this reporting period: 3
High Rockies Harm Reduction provided supplies and services at two community level events in this reporting period:
Resource Fair, Carbondale, 1/15/25
Gay Ski Week, Aspen, 1/9/25
Accomplishments
High Rockies Harm Reduction, collaborating with Region 5, submitted an application to the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council’s (COAC) third round of Infrastructure Grant funding. If awarded, the grant would allow High Rockies Harm Reduction to purchase two Ford Cargo Transit vans and convert them into mobile offices to support the safety and sustainability of services throughout Region 5.
HRHR has begun delivering services at the Dillon Colorado Mountain College (Summit County).
Challenges/Barriers/Changes
It is apparent that expanding services in Eagle, Lake, and Summit counties from a monthly to weekly schedule is not possible without a second FTE Peer Support Specialist. One of the biggest barriers to hiring this staff person is the need for a dedicated vehicle to serve the Eastern portion of the Region.
Region 5 Council members are working regularly with High Rockies Harm Reduction to monitor the deliverables under this contract and explore options. At this time, the group is waiting to hear back about the application for the Infrastructure Share funding. HRHR will likely under-utilize the funds currently dedicated in the contract to support a second FTE, and the Region has proposed putting those funds towards a match under this grant application. If no candidate is identified the funds will not be invoiced and could be otherwise utilized to support this work.
Data Dashboard | The OMNI Institute
Deliverable Status
OMNI’s Work Plan, with notes, status updates, and links to relevant documents can be found in this Google Sheets document R5COAC Work Plan/Contractor Scope Tracking
All deliverables are currently on schedule.
Data Gathered/Reach
OMNI has gathered all necessary data for the dashboard at this time. The contractor is currently exploring how best to display the Social Determinants of Health and Upstream Factor data on the website. The Data Dashboard workgroup will continue to give input on how to organize and visualize data.
Accomplishments
In this reporting period, OMNI shared the first mockup of the website with the workgroup and captured an initial round of feedback regarding the overall look, organization, content, and function of the website.
The domain name of the website will be www.Region5OpioidCouncil.org. The goal date for the website launch is May 15, 2025.
Challenges/Barriers/Changes
No challenges to report in this period.
3. Financial Status
R5OAC Funding Tracker Awarded vs Received and Allocated
TOTAL AWARDED AMOUNT: $ 2,454,695.00
This tracker reflects original amounts allocated per Strategic Plans. Because of grant application and procurement processes all of the 2022/24 Strategic Plan contracts have bled into 2025. Per the Attorney General office’s guidance, the Region has rolled over all unspent funds from 2022/24 into the 2025/26 Strategic Plan. Therefore, the allocations across plans will appear different on this sheet compared to what is linked in the Region 5 Strategic Plan amounts on the COAG opioid Regional Share website.
The spreadsheet also includes every source of funding received to date. Those three sources are:
Regional Share: $ 2,307,959.97 claimed to date
Infrastructure Share: $150,000.00 awarded in Round 2
McKinsey Subdivisions Settlement: $11,735.03
Note: The McKinsey Subdivisions Settlement is specific to Local Governments (counties and municipalities). All of the funding the Region has received is from municipalities who have chosen to route their funds to the Region. Because the State was not a party to this settlement this funding does not appear in COST (Colorado Opioid Settlement Tracker) and the Region is not required to report these expenses. The funds must be used for Approved Purposes per Exhibit E. The Strategic Plan workgroup voted in January to use these funds to support Council member COAC Conference attendance and education opportunities in 2025/26.
Total Allocated Funds per Priority Area 2023-2026
Prevention – $638,950.00
Anti-Stigma/Education Campaign - Effct LLC: $558,950.00
Youth Programming Mini-Grants: $80,000.00
Harm Reduction - High Rockies Harm Reduction: $464,371.28
Treatment/Recovery – $800,468.80
Mind Springs Medically Managed Withdrawal Facility: $185,836.00
Regional Detention Centers: $94.632.80
Garfield County: $38,400
Lake County: $5,500
Note: In January 2025, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office turned down this funding opportunity.
Summit County: $56,232.80
Treatment/Recovery RFP: $500,000.00
Lake County Treatment Access: $20,000.00
Leadership, Planning & Coordination – $509,976.65
Data Dashboard - OMNI: $167,500.00
Staffing: $325,593.00
Infrastructure Grant (to support Karina Schorr’s position in 2024-25): $135,000.00
Regional Share (will support Karina Schorr’s position in 2025-2026): $190,593.00
COAG Conference Room, Board & Travel costs for Council members: $16,883.03
Regional Share (expensed in 2024): $5,148.62
McKinsey Subdivision Settlement (to cover expenses in 2025 & 2026): $11,735.03
Administrative – Fiscal Agent Treasury Fees 2023-26: $40,928.27
Infrastructure Share: $15,000.00
Regional Share: $25,928.27
Expenses
Total Expenses to Date: $808,772.89
1/01/25-3/31/25 Expenses: $189,184.60
High Rockies Harm Reduction total: $22,985.72
Invoice 1 amount: $6,757.91
Submitted 1/14/25
Description: Diagnostic Maintenance from Avon Fleet, New fuel pump, batteries, hazardous waste disposal and diagnostics from Mountain Chevy, Fiscal Sponsor Indirect Rate & Admin Costs
Note: This one-off invoice was approved to address needed maintenance on the donated ambulance.
Invoice 2 amount: $16,227.81
Submitted: 2/27/25
Description: FTE Peer Support Professional @$25/hour for March, April, May, Fiscal Sponsor Indirect Rate & Admin Costs
The OMNI Institute
Total invoice amount: $12,497.88 ($4,165.96 x 3)
Submitted: 1/31/25, 2/28/25, 3/31/25
Description: Regular monthly invoicing for Q4
Effct LLC
Invoice amount: $41,551.00
Submitted: 1/06/25
Description: Labor and ad sales for Q4, labor for printing request
Eagle County Public Health & Environment
Total invoice amount: $112,000.00
Submitted: 2/18/25
Description: 2025 Personnel Cost for Region 5 Opioid Abatement Council Coordinator - Karina Schorr Salary, Fringe (Medicare, Social Security, Health Insurance and Retirement)
VanLife Customs
Total charge: $150.00
Date expensed: 1/9/25
Description: Estimate for mobile office build
4. Sustainability
Strategic Planning Years 3-4
Region 5 submitted its 2025/26 Strategic Plan to the COAC on March 14th, 2025. Please see Section 1. Overview for a summary of the Strategic Plan.
Community Based Partnerships
On March 10, 2025 Mind Springs Health announced they would be closing the Withdrawal Management center in Glenwood Springs, which the Region had dedicated funds to close the facility’s capital gap. On March 13th, the Eagle County Attorney’s Office issued a formal letter of non-compliance to Mind Springs Health.
Region 5 voting members, Co-Chair Jarid Rollins, Fiscal Agent representative, and Karina Schorr convened for an Executive Session to discuss next steps. As of the submission of this report (April 24, 2024) Mind Springs had been acquired by Health Solutions and was evaluating its programs under this new partnership. Additional details on this contract will be available in the next quarterly report.
Funding Prioritization
For the 2025/26 Strategic Plan, three new areas of prioritization have been added. Those areas and their associated Approved Purpose are below:
Prevention:
Annual Amount (2 year cycle): $40,000 - maximum per awardee TBD
Approved Purpose: School-based or youth-focused programs or strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing drug misuse and seem likely to be effective in preventing the uptake and use of opioids.
Treatment:
Total amount: $20,000
Approved Purpose: Expand availability of treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including all forms of Medication-Assisted Treatment (“MAT”) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Treatment/Recovery
Annual Amount (2 year cycle): $250,000
Approved Purpose: Support and reimburse evidence-based services that adhere to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (“ASAM”) continuum of care for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions.
5. Successes and Lessons Learned
Successes
The Strategic Plan for 2025/26 was presented and approved by the voting members, indicating a successful step forward in outlining the Council's priorities and funding allocations for the next two years, particularly when it comes to Treatment and Recovery. Given the wide array of services and priorities across the five counties, developing a vision for funding that can positively impact the Region as a whole is a challenge. However, the Treatment/Recovery RFP received buy-in from representatives in each county which was a success in itself. How the RFP is constructed over the next few months will be critical in attracting proposals that fit the needs of all five counties.
Lessons Learned
With the potential permanent closure of Mind Springs’ Withdrawal Management facility, the Region has identified a need to develop a policy for when funds that were previously allocated become available again. Some options that have been discussed preliminarily:
Dispense by Priority Category: Take the funds and allocate them across the four priority areas (Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, Recovery) according to the percentages identified by the Council for the current Strategic Plan
Keep within current Priority Category: As unexpended funds were previously dedicated to a specific priority category, funds could be kept within that same category and re-allocated to a different organization/project.
Needs-based: At the first annual Bi-Annual Council meeting present the available budget for one-off funding opportunities, whether it is a new program or supplementing existing work.