No, the harm reduction proposal has not been withdrawn, Board of Health meeting details, and today's Madison365 article: "Org recommended to run harm reduction center falsely claimed partnerships in proposal"

Hi, 

It's about 11:30pm so this update will be very brief and I'll work to be more detailed tomorrow, Wednesday, February 4, 2026. Why am I writing so late? Well, tonight the Common Council had presentations and a discussion on violence prevention that lasted until about 10pm.  Right before the meeting started at 6pm, there was an article published from Madison365 with an update on the harm reduction proposal from CAYA Clinic. 

In this brief update I will: 

1. Share a quote from the article
2. Answer the question I've gotten several times over the last few days asking why there is a vote on the harm reduction proposal if the agency withdrew their application
3. Share meeting details for Wednesday's Board of Health Meeting

From Madison365: 

"The misleading statements

CAYA’s proposal says the African American Opioid Coalition (AAOC) would be a partner and subcontractor, using $75,000 per year to hire a full-time peer support specialist at the center. It also lists OutReach LGBT Community Center and Drug Users Organizing (DUO) as subcontractors to provide part-time support for $25,000 each. It further lists the YWCA, Aaron Perry Free Clinic and Compass Community Health Center as “service navigation partners.” It mentions the Aaron Perry Free Clinic three times, the YWCA five times, and the AAOC 10 times.

YWCA Madison CEO Geraldine Paredes Vásquez told Madison365 in an email that YWCA “(does) not have any organizational collaboration with CAYA Clinic” and was “not aware of YWCA Madison being listed as a partner in this proposal.”

CAYA’s proposal also states, “Staff deliver LGBTQ+ affirming care through partnerships with OutReach and culturally specific programming with the African American Opioid Coalition and Aaron Perry Family Clinic.” In another section, it refers to the “Aaron Perry Family Clinic collaboration.”

Aaron Perry, who, through the Rebalanced Life Wellness Association, founded and operates the Perry Family Free Clinic (not Aaron Perry Family Clinic), said he was not consulted before being included in the proposal – and said in an interview that he had never heard of CAYA until he learned that his name had been invoked in the proposal.

Both Perry and Alder Sabrina Madison told Madison365 that AAOC founder and director Charlie Daniel told them that she did not give permission for CAYA to include AAOC in the proposal; further, Perry said she told him that he could share that information with Madison365 on her behalf. She said she had an initial conversation with CAYA clinical director Skye Boughman, but made no commitment, and did not know AAOC was listed as a subcontractor."

"The agency withdrew, so why is there a vote?"  

After reading the letter CAYA Clinic shared with the Board of Health, I thought they'd withdrawn.  However when I reached out to Public Health Madison & Dane County on 1/28/2026 for an update to clarify the status of their application, I was provided a copy of the agency director's email clarifying their intention was to not withdraw. 

CAYA Clinic's director shared on 1/28/2026: 

"I wanted to provide clarification that our statement to the Board of Health is not a withdrawal of our application. We are truly trying to find a way to honor harm reduction principles while acknowledging that referring to the CAYA as BIPOC led was a mistake. We do not want to do harm by increasing mistrust in systems in Madison-Dane County for our Black and Brown community and we do not want to do harm to people who use drugs by withdrawing our proposal, that we do believe is the best way to serve our community.  We do fully support the RFP being reissued. Our proposal will remain the same but I certainly won't use AI and the wording will be accurate."

Yesterday afternoon when another article came out saying that CAYA Clinic was "rejecting a proposed $2.4 million contract", I again asked Public Health staff to clarify so that I could relate the most up to date info to residents.  The reply I got yesterday from Public Health was: 

"The most recent and only communication we have received directly from CAYA regarding their intent is the January 28, 2026 email you referenced, in which they explicitly stated they were not withdrawing their proposal. No subsequent communication has been received indicating a change in that position."

So since CAYA Clinic has not withdrawn their application, the next step of action will be taken by the Board of Health on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. 

Meeting details:

Board of Health for Madison and Dane County - February 4, 2026

• Wednesday, February 4, 2026
• 5:30pm
• Location
  • You can attend this meeting virtually or in person.
  • Hybrid (City-County Building; virtually via Zoom)
    210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 357 (main room); Room 351 (overflow room if needed)
    Madison, WI 53703
• Agenda
• There was a public hearing on the item last month so there will be not be public comment taken on the item this month. 

More info 

Thanks for engaging, 

Alder Madison