By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette
During the June 3 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, Health Service Director Jotham Arber addressed the supervisors regarding the use of opioid funds from state and national settlements with companies over lawsuits stemming from the opioid crisis. He told of the need for EMS services to have naloxone for use with patients experiencing opioid addiction. Arber also explained Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), in which a patient is given another medication to replace the dangerous drug the patient is addicted to.
Arber explained that he is a strong believer in making sure that resources are available in this county, because many patients will not follow through on appointments further away due to transportation or time constraints.
Arber explained his thinking in targeting youth education.
“Another huge area is developing youth prevention programs and service navigation,” Arber said. “We’ve talked with all three of the schools, and we’re going to be having some pretty in-depth conversations over the next three months about the needs that they have in the social work space. I think we can avoid some things going forward. It’s that ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure methodology.”
Sheriff Matt Harmann spoke to the supervisors about planned vehicle purchases. Supervisors Chair Maggie Armstrong said she appreciates the information even though the purchases planned are already in the budget, so no board action was needed.
The supervisors discussed the county’s employee evaluation process and possible improvements. The discussion included the inherent challenges of evaluations being done by the five supervisors, meaning that employees essentially have five “bosses” who each will see things differently. There was also a suggestion to have a six-month “check-in” to review if annual goals are progressing. After discussion, Supervisor Steve Smith said he will work on creating a first draft of an amended format for the supervisors to review at an upcoming meeting.
The supervisors meet regularly on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.