BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, February 20, 2025) - Today, during a ceremony in City Hall, Mayor Brandon M. Scott swore in the first-ever members of the Opioid Restitution Advisory Board.

"As you can imagine, selecting this board was not easy. There were many incredibly talented candidates who offered themselves in service. Ultimately, I am proud of this board who is diverse in background, experience, perspective, and profession -- but united in their commitment to make Baltimore a leader in our response to the opioid epidemic. The work of this Board is going to be critical in helping to advise and shape the way that the city disburses the restitution funds we're receiving and ensuring that it is being utilized effectively and in a way that centers the needs of all Baltimoreans for the full duration of the fund," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. There are countless Baltimoreans working non-stop in a variety of ways to tackle this crisis, which seems to get lost sometimes in the public discourse - but I know the work of this Board will serve to help elevate and support so much of that work, in turn making it easier to save lives."

The members of the Restitution Advisory Board:

• Dr. Paul Archibald is filling a lived/living experience seat. Dr. Archibald is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in programs to address substance use, mental health, and racial trauma. He has worked closely with Morgan State for many years on behavioral health community-led projects. Mr. Archibald is specifically interested in the connections between racial trauma, stress response, and opioid use disorder.
• Paris Barnes is filling a lived/living experience seat. Ms. Barnes is a Senior Training Specialist with the PATIENTS Program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where she creates opportunities for patient-centered and community-engaged health care research. She is a Baltimore native and has been impacted by the overdose epidemic in her family.
• Demetrie Marlon Garner is filling a lived/living experience seat. Mr. Garner grew up on the Eastern Shore and moved to Baltimore in 2018 for substance use disorder treatment. He has worked at Franklin Square Hospital as a peer recovery specialist and now supports other MedStar Health projects across the region.
• Carlos Hardy is filling a lived/living experience seat. Mr. Hardy has over 30 years of experience delivering substance use-related programming in Baltimore, including at organizations like Dee's Place. He founded the Maryland Recovery Organization Connecting Community (MROCC), which held the contract with the state of Maryland to develop the criteria and certifications for recovery housing across the state.
• Ricarra Jones is filling a lived/living experience seat. Ms. Jones is the Political Director for 1199SEIU, a large healthcare union, and the Acting President of the Baltimore City NAACP. She has both personal and professional experience with the overdose epidemic. She is passionate about empowering underserved communities and building coalitions to fight for social and economic justice.
• Charles McCleary is filling a lived/living experience seat. He is an experienced Peer Recovery Coach at Johns Hopkins Bayview Psychiatry Unit. He was born and raised in East Baltimore and is deeply committed to addressing substance use disorder in his community.
• William Staton is filling a lived/living experience seat. He works at Lifebridge Health as a peer recovery specialist. He has both family and personal experience with the overdose epidemic and is eager to put his experience to work on the Restitution Advisory Board.
• Fatima Wilkerson is filling a lived/living experience seat. Ms. Wilkerson was deeply impacted by addiction and overdose in her family as a child growing up in Baltimore City. She is committed to addressing the impact of the opioid epidemic on children and families.
• Adam Trionfo is filling the peer recovery specialist seat. Mr. Trionfo created and currently oversees the peer recovery program at Catholic Charities. Mr. Trionfo has extensive experience providing harm reduction services and building community relationships in Baltimore City.
• Dr. Danielle German is filling the public health expert seat. Dr. German is an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with over 20 years of experience in substance use research and practice. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing the social context of health behavior and well-being among marginalized populations.
• Shanda Brown is filling the social worker seat. Ms. Brown is a licensed social worker who has extensive experience overseeing services across affordable housing communities. Recently, she piloted a peer recovery program and is currently working with The Community Builders to launch a wellness center to respond to the number of overdoses she and her team has witnessed.
• Dr. Meredith Kerr, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C is filling the practicing addiction medicine specialist seat. Dr. Kerr is a nurse practitioner who provides medication for opioid use disorder through the BHLI Project Connection at SPARC street medicine program. She has extensive experience delivering comprehensive low-barrier health care to people with opioid use disorder.
• Karl Green Jr. is filling the harm reduction seat. Mr. Green will bring his personal and professional experience with the overdose epidemic to the Restitution Advisory Board. He has worked at a recovery center in Harford County and now works at Baltimore Safe Haven.
• Geri Byrd, Chief of Staff to Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, is Governor Wes Moore's appointee to the Restitution Advisory Board. Ms. Byrd will help ensure alignment and coordination between Baltimore's Restitution Fund and the state's overdose efforts including the Maryland Opioid Restitution Fund.
• Councilman Dr. John Bullock is representing the Baltimore City Council as the member nominated by the Council President and agreed upon by the Mayor representing a council district significantly impacted by the overdose crisis.
• Councilwoman Phylicia Porter is representing the Baltimore City Council as the Chair of the Baltimore City Council Health and Environment Committee. She is a public health advocate focused on building healthy communities in Baltimore City.
• Crista Taylor is the CEO of Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore, Baltimore's local behavioral health authority.
• James Wallace, Baltimore City Fire Department Chief, is serving as a non-voting member of the Board.
• Mary Beth Haller, interim Baltimore City Health Commissioner, is serving as a non-voting Co-Chair of the Board.
• Sara Whaley is Mayor Scott's Executive Director of Overdose Response and is serving as a non-voting Co-Chair of the Board.

All members of the Restitution Advisory Board are Baltimore City residents.

"Their voices will be an instrumental part of guiding our use of restitution funds, evaluating proposals and making recommendations on funding allocations," said Mayor Scott. Their perspective is imperative to ensure that these funds are utilized effectively and in a way that centers the needs of all Baltimoreans for the full duration of the fund. I'm grateful for their service, and their willingness to dedicate their time and experience on this crucial effort."

Community Engagement Plan

The City extended the public comment period on the community engagement period through March 15, 2025. Residents are encouraged to review the plan here and submit their comments here.

Accountability and Transparency Plan

The City also extended the public comment period on the draft Accountability and Transparency Plan through March 15. This document outlines measures to track and publicly share how opioid restitution funds are allocated and their impact.

Residents can review the draft here and submit comments here.

Additional updates will be posted on the Health Department's web page here.