Opioid Solutions Leadership Network
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network is a learning community for county leaders and key staff of state associations of counties who are committed to investing opioid settlement funds to save lives and address the needs of people affected by substance misuse. Using NACo’s signature peer learning model, the Network convenes leaders from across county government, including elected officials, agency leaders and practitioners, to share knowledge and offer support across state lines. By creating a national network of county opioid settlement decision makers, NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network aims to empower counties to invest opioid settlement funds in innovative, equitable and evidence-based opioid abatement strategies.
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County Leaders
In 2022, NACo held a national call for applications to join the inaugural cohort of the Opioid Solutions Leadership Network. Through a competitive application process, 30 county leaders were selected to participate in the 2023 cohort. Participants convened four times over the course of the year to build relationships, learn about innovative opioid abatement strategies and receive implementation support from subject matter experts.
- Hon. Kevin Boozel, Commissioner, Butler County, Pa.
- Brandy Carney, Director, Department of Public Safety & Justice Services, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Marlene Collick, Director of Community Corrections, Genesee County, Mich.
- Hon. Lee Constantine, Commissioner, Seminole County, Fla.
- Scott Coughenour, Executive Director, Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Erie County, Pa.
- Dr. Ahmed Dadzie, Director of Health and Human Services, Rio Arriba County, N.M.
- Brad Finegood, Strategic Advisor, Department of Public Health, King County, Wash.
- Gina Hayes, Chief Administrative Officer, St. Tammany Parish, La.
- Hon. Brian Holt, Supervisor, Walworth County, Wis.
- William "Billy" Horbatt, Municipal Alliance Coordinator, Division of Behavioral Health, Monmouth County, N.J.
- Debra Kubitskey, Assistant Administrator, Jackson County, Mich.
- Keli McLoyd, Deputy Director, Overdose Response Unit, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Jamie Michael, Director of Health and Human Services, Doña Ana County, N.M.
- Jenine Miller, Director of Behavioral Health, Mendocino County, Calif.
- Hon. Gary Moore, Judge/Executive, Boone County, Ky.
- Hon. Karen Moore, Commissioner Chair, Gladwin County, Mich.
- Hon. Dan Mosley, Judge/Executive, Harlan County, Ky.
- Hon. Sarah Parady, Council Member, City and County of Denver, Colo.
- Hon. Jeff Plasterer, Commissioner, Wayne County, Ind.
- Denise Price, Director of Behavioral Health Services, Forsyth County, N.C.
- Hon. Greg Puckett, Commissioner, Mercer County, W.Va.
- Danny Scalise II, Public Health Director, Burke County, N.C.
- Susan Smith, Health Officer, Wood County, Wis.
- Hon. Leslie Summey, Commissioner, Arapahoe County, Colo.
- Hon. Reagan Taylor, Judge/Executive, Madison County, Ky.
- Hon. Kathryn Whittington, Commissioner, Ashtabula County, Ohio
- Jennifer Wittwer, Director, Behavioral Health Division, Milwaukee County, Wis.
In April 2023, participants traveled to Granville and Vance Counties, N.C. for the first peer exchange. Granville and Vance Counties are adjacent, rural counties that border Virginia to the north and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan areas to the south. Hosted by Granville Vance Public Health, the local health department, the program explored the following learning themes:
- Delivering evidence-based treatment in rural communities,
- Coordinating services to create a comprehensive system of care, and
- Overcoming barriers and utilizing opioid settlement funds as a lever for change.
In addition to educational presentations, the program incorporated interactive activities to help participants articulate their visions and identify feasible actions to maximize the potential of opioid settlement funds in their home jurisdictions.
In August 2023, participants traveled to Milwaukee County, Wis. for the second peer exchange. Milwaukee County is a large urban county with a demonstrated commitment to eliminating health disparities. Hosted by Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services, the program explored four learning themes:
- Family-centered approaches to care for substance use disorder,
- Empowering and impactful community engagement strategies,
- Developing targeted interventions to reduce health disparities, and
- Using opioid settlement funds to address funding gaps.
This peer exchange included joint programming with NACo’s Prenatal-to-Three County Leaders Academy, an annual convening of county leaders committed to improving outcomes for young children and their families. Programming included panel discussions, a meeting with community leaders, a mobile tour and an interactive activity.
In September 2024, participants traveled to King County, Wash. for the third peer exchange. King County is home to Seattle and oversees the delivery of behavioral health and substance use services in a variety of settings -- from clinics and mobile units to high schools. Hosted by Public Health - Seattle & King County, the program explored three learning themes:
- Expanding the continuum of services for people with substance use disorder,
- Reducing barriers to accessing care, and
- Establishing trusting and impactful community partnerships
Participants of this event attended educational and panel presentations, as well as visited a Recovery Café, mobile methadone van, Indian health clinic and community center and recovery high school.
Ambassadors
NACo is pleased to announce an expansion of the network targeted to key state association of counties staff – referred to as “Ambassadors” – who have or will provide state-specific information, education and technical assistance to their constituent counties toward the commendable stewardship of opioid settlement funds. Ambassadors will join the existing 30 County Leaders who are currently members of OSLN.
10 state associations of counties will participate in OSLN as Ambassadors. By the end of the program, participants will develop:
- an increased understanding of opioid abatement across the continuum of care,
- an enhanced capacity to provide critical information and technical assistance to constituent counties in their respective states, and
- new and strengthened relationships with their counterparts across the country to exchange ideas and peer support.
Selected 2025 Ambassadors for NACo's Opioid Solutions Leadership Network will be announced in February 2025.
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
King County school offers students a route to sobriety
The Interagency Recovery Campus, funded in part by King County, Wash. Behavioral Health and Recovery, fosters an environment to support students' paths to sobriety.
Opioid fight gets resources, faces pitfalls after settlement
Counties are receiving a sizable amount of money from the national opioids settlement, but the needs generated by the crisis continue to grow.
Counties invest opioid settlement funds to save lives
NACo's Opioid Solutions Leadership Network gathered for the first time in Granville and Vance counties, N.C to learn from experts, share their local strategies and observe the region’s opioid solutions in action.
Family response is key to treating opioid disorders
Milwaukee County, Wis. is taking steps to make sure those resources are as close to the people who need them as possible, including strategic placing of harm-reduction vending machines in historically underinvested neighborhoods.
County Officials Discuss Harm Reduction as a Path Forward through the Overdose Epidemic
At NACo’s 2023 Legislative Conference, county officials discussed harm reduction as a path forward through the opioid epidemic. Three participants in NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network served as panelists at the workshop.