Notice of Funding Opportunity-Opioid Settlement Funds
The SWHHS Opioid Settlement Funding Advisory Council is accepting applications for grant funding. Opioid settlement funds received by Lyon, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood and Rock Counties will support local efforts to impact the effects of the opioid epidemic. The first round of funds through the SWHHS Opioid Advisory Council will be $175,000.
All counties in Minnesota received funding from lawsuits related to the over-prescribing of opioid medications. More information is available on the Fighting the Opioid Epidemic in Minnesota (state.mn.us) website.
Applications will be reviewed by a Funding Subcommittee, made up of representatives from the five counties; including County Commissioners, healthcare, mental health, law enforcement, social services and pharmacy. Applications must support services/programs related to the effects of opioids in one of the following categories: Prevention, treatment and recovery, harm reduction, law enforcement, or criminal justice. Final decisions will be made by SWHHS Community Health Board.
Completed applications are due by September 29th, 2023 at 4:30pm.
On August 20, 2021, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office joined the historic $26 billion multi-state settlement agreements with pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. This settlement will bring more than $300 million to Minnesota counties and cities with an anticipated spending start date of August 1, 2022.
- For more detailed background on the multi-district litigation (MDL), visit the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office – Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
- Minnesota opioid related data can be found on Minnesota Department of Health’s opioid dashboard.The dashboard contains detailed information on overdose deaths, opioid-related hospital visits, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed, the prevalence of substance use disorder, and more.
- According to the Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement(MOA), the Public Health departments shall serve as the lead agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as Local Governments decide how to leverage and disburse Opioid Settlement Funds. In their role as Chief Strategist, public health departments will;
- Convene multi-sector meetings
- Lead efforts that build upon local efforts like Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans
- Foster community focused and collaborative evidence-informed approaches that prevent and address addiction across the areas of public health, human services, and public safety.
- Consult with municipalities located within their county in the development of any Community Health Assessment
- Collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the county where appropriate.
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – endorsed by nearly 50 major organizations - created the Guiding Principles to ensure proper spending of opioid litigation funds;
- Principle 1- Spend the money to save lives.
- Principle 2- Use evidence to guide spending.
- Principle 3- Invest in youth prevention.
- Principle 4- Focus on racial equity.
- Principle 5- Develop a fair and transparent process for deciding where to spend the funding.
- Download Opioid Principles PDF
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Resources
The Opioid Sector Abatement Strategies by Sector guide, developed by Wright County Public Health, can assist a large variety of organizations in finding their role in opioid misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies. The strategies are allowable uses of Opioid Settlement funds per the Minnesota Memorandum of Agreement. Other strategies not listed in the guide may be relevant to each sector.
Contact email: [email protected]