National Association of Counties
The Principles for the Use of Funds From the Opioid Litigation are nationally recognized guidance for states, counties and cities receiving money from the lawsuits against entities that contributed to the opioid epidemic. Coordinated by faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Johns Hopkins), the Principles are designed to help governments of all levels lay the foundation to effectively invest opioid settlement funds to save lives from overdose.
Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation
To apply the Principles in the county context, NACo is partnering with Johns Hopkins to create a series of Quick Guides illustrating how the Principles can inform and support county administration of opioid settlement funds.
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THE PRINCIPLES QUICK GUIDE TO CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT The Principles encourage communities to use settlement funds to supplement existing opioid abatement work (Principle 1) and invest in effective evidence-based interventions (Principle 2). Conducting a local needs assessment is an important early step in determining how to disburse these limited resources for maximum impact. |
Counties are hard at work planning how best to invest the settlement funds, using key tools such as community surveys, strategic plans and requests for proposals. Examples and templates can help inform planning efforts in other jurisdictions. Some recent examples:
The Board of Supervisors in Eau Claire County, Wis. recently approved a resolution to establish an Opioid Settlement Task Force. The Task Force will recommend uses of the settlement funds based on the Principles for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation.
The Iowa State Association of Counties has developed Sample Resolutions for counties that are pursuing regional approaches. The sample resolutions include 1) language for a county interested in distributing settlement funds to a neighboring county and 2) language for a county interested in receiving settlement funds from another county.
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NACo would love to feature the planning tools your county has developed on the Opioid Solutions Center. Submit your county’s planning tools to research@naco.org. |
<p>Counties are directing resources to programs, practices and policies to reduce the overuse and misuse of the criminal legal system, improve public safety, better serve residents with behavioral health conditions and improve communit
<p>Reducing recidivism through effective jail- and community-based services can decrease jail admissions and populations and improve outcomes for people with criminal histories.</p>
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<p>All matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems, including criminal justice planning, law enforcement, courts, corrections, homeland security, community crime prevention, juvenile justice and delinquency preven
<p>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.
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.
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