Resolve, Regarding Sober Living Transitional Assistance

Sec. 1. Help Me Recover Fund established. Resolved: That the Help Me Recover Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established within the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to persons to use as a deposit and first month rent payment for housing in a recovery residence. The fund consists of any money received as contributions, grants or appropriations from private and public sources. To be eligible for a grant from the fund a person must be ready for discharge from a detoxification or residential treatment program and be financially unable to provide a deposit and first month rent payment for housing in a recovery residence. The Department of Health and Human Services shall enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization with experience in substance use disorder treatment or recovery to administer and make distributions from the fund. The contract must allow the nonprofit organization to retain a maximum of $4,000 for administrative services and must require the nonprofit organization to establish an applicant review process that, at a minimum:

1. Includes the use of a review committee of which at least 60% of committee members are peer reviewers. For purposes of this subsection, "peer reviewer" includes, but is not limited to, former residents of a recovery residence;

2. Determines the readiness of an applicant to join a recovery residence; and

3. Ensures that the recovery residence at which an applicant will be housed is certified by a nonprofit organization that oversees standards for recovery residences in the State or that the recovery residence's certification is pending; and be it further

Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following appropriations and allocations are made.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS)

Help Me Recover Fund N237

Initiative: Provides one-time funding to the Help Me Recover Fund to provide grants to persons being discharged from detoxification or residential treatment programs to use as a deposit and first month rent payment for housing in a recovery residence.

GENERAL FUND	2017-18	2018-19
All Other	$50,000	$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$50,000	$0

SUMMARY

This resolve establishes the Help Me Recover Fund within the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to persons being discharged from detoxification or residential treatment programs to use as a deposit and first month rent payment for housing in a recovery residence. To be eligible for a grant from the fund a person must be financially unable to provide a deposit and first month rent payment. The resolve directs the department to enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization with experience in substance use disorder treatment or recovery to administer and make distributions from the fund.