The Board of Health for Madison & Dane County voted unanimously to dismiss a proposal Wednesday to fund a harm-reduction clinic after a Madison nonprofit falsely claimed to have non-white leadership in their application, an error the group attributed to artificial intelligence.
The board indefinitely postponed the resolution, leaving the $2.4 million in opioid settlement funds in the health department’s budget instead of towards a Madison East side clinic run by local nonprofit CAYA Clinic.
“I am concerned that pushing [the resolution] forward at this time would further injure the trust of the public and the expressions of concern,” board Chair Dr. Jerry Halverson, said in the meeting.
The county previously suggested the contract with CAYA, using funds secured through settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers to mitigate the opioid addiction crisis. CAYA currently runs a psychotherapy clinic in East Madison focused on addressing substance use and mental health through counseling and community.
CAYA was chosen out of a group of four organizations that submitted proposals to the county. The nonprofit aimed to create a harm-reduction clinic specifically helping drug users avoid overdose and disease and have a safe space to receive treatment. The clinic then received backlash from the public and city officials for claiming their leadership was BIPOC, despite being all white.
CAYA founder and executive director Skye Boughman previously acknowledged the organization’s application contained misleading information about the clinic’s staff diversity after she used an AI tool to condense the proposal.
“I also think we need to address the implications as far as race and what that means. Many individuals have lost their lives [to drugs], especially BIPOC, and it’s specifically African Americans,” District 9 Alder Joann Pritchett said in the board meeting. “If harm reduction is one way to approach it, then let's begin to convene individuals who can address this, who have some background experience in it. If we don't do that, then why is it public health? Because it affects all of us.”
There have also been concerns regarding how CAYA was selected, public dissatisfaction voiced during the January meeting. Alder Sabrina Madison also criticized a lack of attention given to the clinic’s proposed location, city-zoning laws and public safety.
During the meeting, District 18 Alder Carmella Glenn advocated to stop the resolution from moving forward.
“Rather than rushing to find a single organization through a compromised process, the board of supervisors should empower PHMDC to conduct a thorough community needs assessment, develop a clear vision for harm reduction services across Dane County and redesign a Request For Proposal process with robust transparency,” Glenn said in the meeting.
The board pushed for a comprehensive needs assessment process, rather than moving forward with the CAYA contract.
“If we are not sensitive to some of their needs, we're not sensitive to how they present. This is what this grant is asking,” Pritchett said. “And we have to be mindful. You just can't say, "I know how to fix you.”
Pritchett also advocated for using University of Wisconsin-Madison as a resource and reimagining solutions.
“Harm reduction is fundamentally a community-centered public health approach grounded in justice, dignity and human rights,” Glenn said. “Proceeding with a flawed process will ultimately cause more harm by undermining, undermining public trust, creating community resistance and potentially establishing services that are not positioned for success.”
Staff Writer
