Good afternoon!

In this week’s newsletter, we’re highlighting an article by Aneri Patani and McKenzie Beard in the Washington Post about the 2024 Opioid Settlement Roadmap—a blueprint we’ve been advocating for to ensure that the billions of dollars from opioid settlements are used effectively to support our communities. Last week, we shared this roadmap, calling on other organizations to join us in pushing for its adoption, and nearly 200 signed on. This coalition, deeply involved in addressing the overdose crisis, reissued the roadmap to guide policymakers and public health officials on how to best allocate over $50 billion in settlement funds. The key recommendations include:

• Rejecting funding systems and policies that advance the Drug War, including further criminalization, bolstering the criminal legal system, family separation, unproven prevention programs, and harmful “treatment” approaches.
• Ensuring full access to FDA-approved treatments and harm reduction services, such as all forms of medications for opioid use disorder, syringe service programs, naloxone access, and overdose prevention centers.
• Expanding housing, outreach, and comprehensive support services for individuals affected by drug use and related convictions, ensuring they do not face barriers to essential services.
• Funding reform and rehabilitation efforts to address the collateral damage caused by the War on Drugs, including second-chance employment opportunities, recovery-to-work initiatives, and expungement of criminal records.

Local advocates, you are the backbone of our communities. You know best what your communities need and what gaps exist. At the state and local levels, we encourage you to develop context-specific platforms by tailoring the roadmap to fit your unique circumstances or drawing inspiration from the examples. You can read the full article here and access the updated Roadmap here.

North Carolina

Gaston County Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for crafting spending recommendations for $40 million in opioid settlement funds. To involve the community, CSS will hold three public input meetings:

• Aug. 13, 6-8 p.m. EDT, Mt. Holly Municipal Complex (400 E. Central Ave., Mt. Holly)

• Aug. 20, 9-11 a.m. EDT, First United Methodist Church (190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia)

• Aug. 29, 1-3 p.m. EDT, Cherryville Community Building (106 S. Jacob St., Cherryville)

Wake County is awarding more than $3 million in opioid settlement funds to thirteen local nonprofits. The funding will focus on early intervention programs, naloxone distribution, recovery housing, and recovery services. The nonprofits are:     

•    The Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education

•    Arise Collective

•    Boys and Girls Club of Wake County

•    Coastal Horizons

•    Emmaus House

•    Fathers Forever

•    Healing Transitions

•    Illuminate NC

•    North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition

•    SMART Recovery USA

•    SouthLight Healthcare

•    Urban Ministries of Wake County

•    Wake Monarch Academy

Pennsylvania

News reports that Northampton County is using settlement money on the Fake is Real fentanyl awareness campaign.  

Luzerne County commissioners earmarked $1 million in opioid settlement dollars for expansion of the following programs: $625,404 for prison MAT, $208,468 for warm hand-off and certified recovery specialist services, and $208,468 for school opioid use prevention education.

McKean County commissioners allocated about $217,000 in opioid settlement funds to Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services for the following: $120,000 for the Too Good for Drugs program, $53,000 for a certified recovery specialist, $30,000 for naloxone distribution, and $14,042.24 for prevention campaign advertising.  

Cumberland County commissioners allocated $708,000 in opioid settlement funds to various courts and SUD services. $536,277 was used to cover existing expenses for the treatment court, overdose intervention court, and mental health court; specifically, salaries, benefits, drug testing items, and contracted recovery services. The remaining $171,723 went to county-funded services managed by the Cumberland-Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission. Before this decision, commissioners had approved $640,233 in settlement funds: almost $586,500 for an MAT program implemented last year and $53,734 for the county’s share of the salary and benefits of an opioid mitigation coordinator it shares with Perry County. The coordinator’s duties involve distributing naloxone and reporting on both counties’ remediation efforts to the PA Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust.

South Carolina

The Dorchester County Council is considering using $220,360 in opioid settlement funds to help start a critical incident management system. The system would streamline communication between law enforcement agencies, allowing agencies to access information on drug overdoses. The funding would also cover an interagency coordinator position for the system and the purchase of rapid toxicology tests for the coroner’s office.

Tennessee

Lewis County commissioners allocated $32,284 in opioid settlement funds to the Lewis County Faith Based Recovery Coalition. The coalition consists of local church leaders from various denominations who have partnered with Hope Center Ministries to offer Christian-centered treatment programs to people with SUD.

In Cumberland County, the Cumberland Prevention Coalition received a grant of about $100,000 in opioid settlement money per year for three years. With the funds, the coalition plans to hire an older adult prevention specialist and start a program focused on substance abuse prevention in the county’s older population. The specialist will conduct training for healthcare providers on responsible opioid prescription and educate senior citizens about safe opioid storage and disposal including medication logs for people with memory impairments.

Virginia

The Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) hosts a series of in-person workshops around the state, specifically designed for city and county officials to learn more about opioid settlement funds, OAA grants, and examples of best practices.

There are two remaining workshops offered this year:

   September 5 – Laurel Ridge Community College, Middletown, VA

   (approximately 20 minutes south of Winchester, VA)

   Click here to register

   October 10 – Virginia Credit Union Stadium, Fredericksburg, VA

   (Fredericksburg Nationals Stadium)

   Click here to register

Alabama

Oversight Commission on Settlement Funds

• TBD
• In-person in Montgomery, AL
• Can watch live on their website (choose ‘Room 200’ for location then ‘Oversight Commission on Alabama Opioid Settlement Funds’ for meeting)

You can also watch livestreams and recordings on The Alabama Channel (thanks to the League of Women Voters of Alabama Education Fund)

Kentucky

Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (meeting info here)

• Business Meeting: September 10, time TBD
• In-person located in Frankfort, KY and attendees can give public comment
• Can watch live and recordings on their YouTube channel
• Prevention/Reform/Compliance Subcommittee Meeting: TBD
• In-person located in Frankfort, KY
• Treatment & Recovery Subcommittee meeting: TBD
• In-person located in Frankfort, KY

Maryland

Opioid Restitution Fund Advisory Council (meeting info here)

• September 23, 3:00pm – 4:00pm EST
• Meetings are all-virtual. Can watch live via Google Meet & there is usually an opportunity for public comment

New York

Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board (meeting info here)

• September 13, 10:00am – 3:00pm EST
• In-person located in Albany, and attendees can give public comment
• Can watch live and recordings on their website

Monthly ‘Community’ meeting: 4th Wednesday of the month at 12pm

• See this page under ‘Community Input’

Ohio

OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board (meeting info here)

• Full Board Meeting: September 11, 10:30am EST
• In-person meetings are located in Columbus and are open to the public, but there is usually no opportunity for public comment
• Can watch live and recordings on their website
• Executive Committee: August 28, 9:00am EST
• Grant Oversight Committee: August 28, 9:00am EST
• Expert Panel: August 22, 2:00pm EST
• Personnel Committee: September 5, 3:00pm EST

Regional Information Sessions (see events calendar for most up-to-date info)

• TBD

Pennsylvania

Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust (meeting info here)

• Board of Trustees Meeting: August 22, 1:30pm – 3:00pm EST
• In-person located in Harrisburg
• All are virtual and can be watched live via Zoom and recordings on YouTube

South Carolina

Opioid Recovery Fund

• SCORF Board Meeting: September 11, location TBD (info here)
• Coffee Chat: September 6, 9:30am EST, virtual
• This is held the first Friday of the month and is an opportunity to ask questions and hear announcements about opioid settlement funds

Tennessee

Opioid Abatement Council

• Meeting: September 30 (info here)
• In-person located in Franklin, TN. (Location rotates around the state.) Meetings are also available to watch via Teams – All attendees can give public comment
• Recordings and meeting minutes are available on their website

Virginia

Opioid Abatement Authority (meeting info here)

• Grants Committee: December 6, 3:00-5:00pm EST
• Finance Committee: TBD
• Board Meeting: TBD

West Virginia

West Virginia First Foundation, Inc. (meeting info here)

• Board of Directors meeting: September 5, 2:00pm EST
• Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month