Item 11 - Agreement with Kingdom Causes, Inc. dba City Net to Provide Substance Abuse Coordination Services

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Substance Abuse Coordination Services for Drug Detoxification and Rehabilitation Treatment June 17, 2025 Page 2 5 1 0 1 Utilizing funds from the Opioid Settlement Fund, it is recommended that the City enter into a service agreement with City Net for direct referrals for individuals with ties to the City of Santa Ana, into detox, treatment, and sober living programs to start individuals on their journey to sobriety. City Net will provide two certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor Case Managers (DACCM) for engaging with clients struggling with substance abuse and assessing for any co-occurring mental health conditions through the Screening Brief and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) assessment. Following the SBIRT assessment, individuals with high-risk substance use or possible SUD will be referred to specialty care. If clients are not already enrolled with a managed care provider (MCP), under this pilot program, opioid settlement funds will be used to pay for immediate entry into substance use detox and/or treatment facilities until MCP enrollment is achieved and payment can be transferred to Medi-Cal. City Net will also be tasked to secure bed spaces for clients in need of substance abuse rehabilitation. To accomplish this requirement, City Net will enter into agreements with no less than four (4) different Rehabilitation and Substance Abuse Services providers to secure beds for Santa Ana clients to immediately enter substance abuse services. The City’s current contract with City Net provides a trauma informed, non-law enforcement, homeless outreach and engagement resource, known as SMART (Santa Ana’s Multi- Disciplinary Homeless Response Team). City Net responds to reports of non-criminal homeless-related activity identified through the MySantaAna app, the community call line, priority calls from City staff, and transfers from SAPD dispatch. Case Managers additionally provide in-reach services in the City jail and provide case management services for individuals on the streets enrolled in their program. Outreach workers will continue to transport individuals to shelters, treatment facilities, appointments, and services. As outlined above, the proposed pilot program will provide immediate access to detox, treatment, and sober living for individuals experiencing homelessness with substance use disorders. It will utilize direct referral pathways to bypass standard waitlists and insurance delays and provide access to wraparound case management that supports clients throughout the treatment process and into permanent recovery and stable housing. Opioid Fund Background In 1996, Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin, marketing it as a revolutionary, long- lasting pain killer with a low risk of addiction. Their claim was later proven to be false. During the late 1990s through the 2000s, Purdue utilized doctors, influenced by aggressive marketing and reassurances from pharmaceutical companies, to over prescribe opioids at unprecedented rates. Addiction rates soared and the Opioid Crisis began. In 2007, Purdue plead guilty to misleading the public about OxyContin’s addictiveness, agreeing to pay its first fine of $634 million dollars. This fine did not slow the effects of the crisis, as prescription drugs became harder to obtain, which forced addicts to turn to Heroin and Fentanyl; and overdose deaths skyrocketed. As of 2025, a global settlement with Purdue Pharma, as well as pharmacies, now totals over $54 Billion to be paid out over 18 years commencing in 2022.