[Durham INC] Durham County to Hold Community Input Session on National Opioid Settlement Funds

[Jones, Henry R.]

[A close up of a sign  Description automatically generated]
NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                          Date: 03/06/23
Contact: Public Information Office                   Phone: (919) 560-0000/Fax: (919) 560-0020
E-mail: publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov<mailto:publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov>

Durham County to Hold Community Input Session on National Opioid Settlement Funds
In-person community feedback event on Monday, March 20

Durham, N.C. - Durham County Government is holding an information update and listening session on Monday, March 20, 2023, on how to best spend its share of the historic $26 billion National Opioid Settlement (NOS)<https://nationalopioidsettlement.com/>. Durham County is expected to receive nearly $11.6 million over an 18-year period from this settlement that will bring much needed help to counties on the frontline of the opioid epidemic by providing public services that will help save lives and support recovery.

This public listening session is open to all and will be held at the Durham County Administration I Building, 200 E. Main St., in downtown Durham. The event will run from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. It will be divided into two parts, an informational presentation and an interactive opportunity to provide feedback on the possible funding distribution.

Before spending settlement funds, Durham County must first select which opioid mitigation strategies it would like to fund. The Durham County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) is planning on how to best invest the settlement funds and has solicited community members' help with prioritizing where the funds will go. A public survey ran from December 2022 until February 2022 and garnered 554 responses from community members and organizations. This public feedback session is another step in gaining input from the community.

"The Board of County Commissioners believe our community has the answers we need to ensure the adoption, reach, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions that are most likely to help our residents ensnared in the opioid crisis," said Commissioner Heidi Carter. "We want to improve the success of our current efforts at prevention and intervention and to identify barriers or gaps in service delivery systems and social supports for recovery. We also want to advance racial equity by hearing the voices and values of many stakeholders, especially our neighbors who may have historically been unheard. We must have real input and collaboration from the community around the judicious spending of dollars from the opioid settlement so we can stem the crisis, reverse alarming trends, and save lives."

There are 12 strategies eligible for NOS funding, and feedback will guide the Board in its decisions based upon priorities expressed from community feedback. This information will help Durham County identify what its current services lack, parts of the community hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, most important resources needed, and other issues identified.

Click here<https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dconc.gov%2Fhome%2Fshowdocument%3Fid%3D38097%26t%3D638058546025491858&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK> for more information on services and programs available to help the Durham County community with substance use disorders, opioid addiction, recovery support services, recovery housing support, employment, intervention, criminal justice diversion, reentry and more.

The State of North Carolina and all 100 counties, including Durham County, joined the NOS agreement. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State and local government directs how opioid settlement funds are distributed and used throughout the state. To maximize funds flowing to North Carolina communities on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, the MOA allocates 15 percent of settlement funds to the State and sends the remaining 85 percent to NC's 100 counties and 17 municipalities. The 18-year payment to N.C. state and local governments during 2022-2038 will total $757,666,411. Click here<https://ncopioidsettlement.org/data-dashboards/payment-schedule/> to learn about the NOS Payment Schedule for North Carolina.

For more information on the National Opioid Settlement or resident feedback sought regarding settlement funding, visit the Durham County Government's North Carolina Opioid Settlement webpage<https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-a-e/county-manager/north-carolina-opioid-settlement> or contact Criminal Justice Resource Center Director Gudrun Parmer at 919-560-0500 or cjrc at dconc.gov<mailto:cjrc at dconc.gov>.

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