As counties explore options for allocating funds from the national opioid settlement, KACo is asking members to share their ideas and examples with fellow county officials.
At a recent KACo Leadership Institute seminar on best practices for opioid abatement, officials from three counties in different regions of the state spoke about initiatives underway in their communities. Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore, Hardin County Deputy Coroner Shana Norton and Harlan County Judge/Executive Dan Mosley stressed the importance of collaboration to implement effective strategies for addressing substance use disorder recovery and prevention.
Harlan County
In Harlan County, some opioid settlement funds have been used to support a case manager/Casey’s Law advocate. Casey’s Law allows parents or familiars to petition a court for treatment intervention on someone’s behalf.
“Our case manager walks folks through that process, from the beginning to the end,” Judge/Executive Dan Mosley said. “They also work with our detention center and the court system, the drug court, trying to figure out which people might be better candidates for treatment rather than incarceration.”
Hardin County
Earlier this year, Hardin County Deputy Coroner Shana Norton used a data-informed approach and spoke with other county officials about their needs as it related to substance use.
Neighboring counties Meade and Breckinridge have a quick response team (QRT), which works to connect people with treatment and harm reduction programs. Norton believes a QRT will work in Hardin County and took her proposal to the fiscal court.
“At the time, Hardin County EMS had 52 runs related to non-fatal overdoses. I explained to the court what a QRT is and explained, you know, if we had this implemented already, we could have already knocked on 50 doors at this point and possibly could have taken 50 Hardin County residents and got them into some type of treatment,” Norton said.
Boone County
Boone County has also had a utilized a QRT but saw a need for more real-time response to people experiencing substance use disorder. The fiscal court recently funded three police navigator positions using opioid settlement money.
“We feel that having trained personnel present at the time of an overdose incident rather than a lag in between is important. We also saw it as an investment where the navigator can stay behind and do things that may eat up a lot of the time of the law enforcement officers,” said Judge/Executive Gary Moore.
Moore said opioid settlement dollars are also used to fund a 24/7 Northern Kentucky help line in coordination with Kenton and Campbell counties.
Advisory commission update
More than 50 elected officials from across Kentucky attended the June 27 opioid abatement seminar. Attendees heard from the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, which is responsible for distributing the Commonwealth’s share of nearly $900 million recovered in opioid settlements.
Commission deputy director Jesse Halladay emphasized the importance of transparency and strategic planning in fund allocation. The Commission recently approved 51 grant awards totaling over $12 million.
At KACo, a comprehensive resource library is being developed to guide counties in effectively navigating opioid settlement dollars. These tools are designed to empower counties, ensuring they comply with regulations and thrive in their efforts to address this critical issue.
To better support counties, a baseline needs assessment survey for opioid settlement funds has been initiated. The data collected will shape technical support services. The survey should take between 5-20 minutes to complete, and all responses will be kept confidential.
Active collaboration with the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission has been ongoing to offer guidance, streamline communication, and help counties leverage this unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in their communities.