At their regular meeting on October 10, the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners approved the allocation of funds from opioid settlements for a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) to enhance Citrus County’s Community Paramedicine Program.

Citrus County Fire Rescue Hires Licensed Clinical Social Worker to Enhance Community Paramedicine Program

These settlements require distributors and manufacturers of opioids to pay billions of dollars to remediate and abate the impacts of the opioid crisis.

Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) is thrilled to announce that Sunshine Arnold joined the team on Monday, December 11, 2023, after having served for many years as the Chief Executive Officer for Citrus County Abuse Shelter Association (CASA).

Ms. Arnold will assist CCFR EMS providers in meeting the needs of patients with complex psychosocial issues and bring medical services and mental health expertise into the field.

This will allow CCFR to build on the excellent work already being done by the Community Paramedicine Program, which has been designed around assisting populations struggling with substance-use disorders. CCFR plans to help that community by involving evidence-based addiction treatment, improving access to recovery support, and providing harm reduction resources.

“We are extremely excited to have Sunshine on board to make a positive impact in our community”, said Fire Chief Craig Stevens.
The benefit of a social worker and paramedic team approach is dual, highlighting community support and embracing the utilization of social services delivery through a LCSW. It also sends the message to citizens that, while the fire department’s primary concern and function is to ensure rapid and appropriate fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services response to the community, they also have a vested interest in their patient’s long-term health and welfare.