Agenda Item Request
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Update on current action plan for the allocation of the Cumberland County Opioid Settlement Funds.
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Background and Purpose of Request
From: Liz Blackwell-Moore
Subject: Cumberland County Opioid Settlement Spending Update
Overview
Cumberland County Government began receiving direct payments from several Opioid Settlements in 2022 and will continue to receive payments for the next 18 years. Each year, the total payment amount will fluctuate but the County expects to receive an average of $211,260 annually. All subdivision recipients of the opioid settlement funds in Maine must spend the money on approved uses for opioid abatement identified in the Opioid Settlement MOU.
Cumberland County's Process for Determining Spending:
In 2023, Cumberland County Public Health staff, including the Director, the Behavioral Public Health Manager, the Chronic Disease Prevention Manager, and the Substance Use Prevention Team Lead, completed an assessment process to determine the needs for addressing opioid use disorder and substance use disorder over the next 3-5 years. The assessment process included information from an extensive County Health Improvement Planning process that took place in 2022, as well as a 2023 survey of organizations to understand current efforts to prevent and address OUD in Cumberland County. This assessment was then used to set priorities for investment and create a 2023-2027 Action Plan. The Plan was approved by County Commissioners in September of 2023. A more detailed write up of the process, the assessment and the Action Plan, can be found HERE on the county's website.
Priority Areas for Investment:
As settlement dollars are allocated across Cumberland County, an opportunity exists to fill a critical need and coordinate efforts in ways that maximize impact and return on investment while simultaneously building critical community capacity to make a long-term impact on the problem. Priority areas for investment ...
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