Jacksonville Fire-Rescue's Addiction Recovery Program Wins State Recognition, $64,000

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department's addiction-recovery program has been named one of the top 10 performers statewide, earning $64,000 in recognition and expanded funding from the state's lead agency overseeing opioid-response initiatives.

Lutheran Services Florida's annual review for the 2025-26 fiscal year identified JFRD's CORE Program — which stands for Community Opioid Response Effort — among the highest-performing sites in Florida. The program connects individuals who have experienced overdoses or opioid-related emergencies to medication-assisted therapy and long-term recovery services, working to remove barriers that often prevent people from seeking treatment.

What the CORE Program does

CORE deploys care coordinators and peer navigators who meet patients at the point of crisis, typically after an overdose or substance-related emergency call. Rather than ending at the emergency room, the program's intervention continues: navigators help individuals access addiction treatment, connect to housing or employment assistance, and stay engaged with wraparound services designed to interrupt the cycle of repeated overdoses and incarceration.

The JFRD program is part of a statewide CORE initiative managed by Lutheran Services Florida, which coordinates addiction-care systems across multiple Florida communities. JFRD's implementation embeds staff directly within the fire-rescue response structure, allowing first responders to hand off patients to recovery specialists immediately after stabilization.

"I truly believe CORE is one of the most powerful things JFRD has done outside of the fire station," said Captain Brielle Barnhill, who leads the program. "We're meeting people where they are, removing barriers to care, and helping them find their road to recovery."

The $64,000 award announced this month reflects performance metrics tracked by Lutheran Services Florida throughout the previous fiscal year, including patient engagement rates, successful treatment connections, and the consistency of reporting submitted by the Jacksonville team. Captain Barnhill's leadership and the program's documentation practices were specifically cited in the statewide review as factors in the recognition.

How this fits Jacksonville's opioid-response landscape

The recognition comes as Northeast Florida, like much of the country, continues to grapple with opioid addiction and its spillover effects on emergency services, hospital systems, and the criminal-justice pipeline. Duval County emergency responders routinely carry naloxone — the overdose-reversal medication — and fire-rescue units are often the first point of contact for individuals in crisis.

Traditional overdose response ends when the patient is stabilized or transported to a hospital. Without follow-up, many individuals cycle back into active use and generate repeated emergency calls. Programs like CORE attempt to break that pattern by extending the intervention window: the moment of crisis becomes an entry point to sustained recovery support.

Medication-assisted therapy, a core component of the JFRD program, combines FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine or methadone with counseling and behavioral therapies. The approach is endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. By connecting patients to MAT providers, the CORE team aims to reduce relapse risk during the vulnerable early stages of recovery.

The program also addresses logistical obstacles that derail treatment attempts: lack of insurance, transportation to appointments, unstable housing, or gaps in care coordination between hospitals, outpatient clinics, and social services. Peer navigators — many of whom have lived experience with addiction — work to rebuild trust and maintain contact through a process that can take months.

What the funding means for program capacity

The $64,000 awarded to JFRD will directly support the continuation and potential expansion of CORE services in Jacksonville. While the announcement does not specify how the funds will be allocated, programs of this type typically use performance awards to hire additional staff, extend operating hours, increase outreach capacity, or pilot new service components such as housing assistance or family support.

Funding for CORE statewide comes from Florida's share of opioid-settlement dollars — payments negotiated with pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and pharmacy chains in litigation over their role in the opioid crisis. Those funds are designated for prevention, treatment, and recovery services, and are distributed by the state through agencies including Lutheran Services Florida.

Director and Fire Chief Percy Golden II emphasized the program's role in meeting a need the traditional emergency-response system was not designed to address. "Every family touched by opioid use disorder deserves a path back to stability, and this program helps make that possible," Golden said. "This award is a reflection of the trust our community and our partners have placed in JFRD, and it will directly strengthen the support we're able to offer those who need it most."

The statewide CORE network allows local programs to share best practices, compare outcomes, and refine approaches based on what works in different community contexts. JFRD's top-10 ranking positions the Jacksonville program as a model for other fire-rescue agencies considering similar initiatives.

What happens next and how to access services

The JFRD CORE Program continues to operate throughout Duval County, with staff embedded in the fire-rescue response system. Individuals or families seeking information about the program, or looking for help with substance use or opioid-related challenges, can contact the team at 904-575-0503 or email JFRDCORE@coj.net.

Lutheran Services Florida conducts annual performance reviews of CORE sites across the state, meaning JFRD will report updated metrics for the current fiscal year in 2027. Maintaining top-tier performance could make the program eligible for continued recognition and funding in future cycles.

The program's success in Jacksonville reflects a broader trend in Florida and nationwide: the recognition that addiction is a public-health issue requiring sustained intervention, not just emergency response. As Northeast Florida continues to grow and diversify, the capacity to connect vulnerable residents to recovery services will remain a critical component of the region's emergency and social-service infrastructure.

For Jacksonville, a city where fire-rescue units respond to thousands of medical emergencies each year, the CORE Program represents an investment in long-term outcomes — fewer repeat calls, fewer overdose deaths, and more individuals who move from crisis to stability. The state's recognition underscores that the approach is working, and that the work Captain Barnhill and her team are doing at the intersection of emergency response and public health is making a measurable difference in the community.