Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners mentioned spending plans for the historic opioid settlement funds on Tuesday night.
$72.7 million in opioid settlement funds can be distributed to Mecklenburg County over the following 18 years, from 2022 to 2038.
The monumental sum is comprised of two separate and concurrent settlements.
$32.4 million — referred to as “Wave 1” — from the July 2021 settlements with the three largest drug distributors: McKesson, Cardinal Well being and producers Johnson & Johnson. Mecklenburg County has already begun to obtain funding from these settlements.
“Wave 2” is a complete of $25.9 million from the November – December 2022 settlements with pharmaceutical firms reminiscent of Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart. These settlement funds are anticipated to be acquired later this yr.
Mecklenburg County may also obtain Charlotte’s allocation of $14.4 million from each waves of the settlements.
Robert Nesbit, Chief of Employees at Consolidated Human Providers Company, stated an annual common of $4 million can be spent, nevertheless, precise quantities will range by yr.
“That is simply the primary preliminary little bit of funding,” Nesbit stated. “As we see the necessity, say we see there’s even a a lot better want for naloxone sources, we will modify.”
A complete of $10.9 million out of the $32.4 million from the primary wave of funding is deliberate for use instantly all through June 30, 2025. This funding will go in direction of three particular areas:
$540,000 to extend native hurt discount efforts by increasing Mecklenburg County’s partnership with Queen Metropolis Hurt Discount and guaranteeing entry to an enough provide of naloxone.
$4 million to broaden providers for uninsured and underinsured folks by a partnership with Alliance Well being.
$6 million can be allotted towards neighborhood purposes supporting the next: early intervention, evidence-based habit therapy, restoration help providers, restoration housing help and employment-related providers.
Group purposes will open on July 15 and shut on August 15 this yr.
Public data periods can be introduced quickly, in keeping with Nesbit.
The remainder of the settlement funds are deliberate to help the next applications:
Syringe Providers Packages: $210,000
Naloxone Distribution: $330,000
Employment-Associated Providers: $525,000
Restoration Help Providers: $2 million
Early Intervention: $2.25 million
Proof-Primarily based Dependancy Therapy, together with Medically Assisted Therapy (MAT) applications: $2.25 million
Restoration Housing Help: $3 million
$350,000 will go towards Collaborative Strategic Planning, which incorporates hiring a brand new workers member within the County Supervisor’s Workplace to help the implementation of funds.
