Title
Sheriff's Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances Presentation
Abstract
Introduction & Background: Recognizing the need for a collective impact approach to addressing the growing opioid overdose crisis in Chatham County, the Sheriff's Office, in partnership with the Public Health Department, established the Sheriff's Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances (SPPCS) in December 2017. The Partnership, which includes law enforcement representatives, public health, Chatham Drug Free, social services, courts programs, first responders, Chatham County Schools, emergency management, substance use and mental health treatment and recovery providers, healthcare providers, substance use prevention specialists, non-profit organizations, and others, met regularly through the beginning of 2020 to share resources, discuss gaps in services, and develop a comprehensive Coordinated Opioid Overdose Prevention Action Plan for the county.
In July 2021, North Carolina announced a $26 billion agreement with pharmaceutical distributors of opioids to bring resources to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. The agreement resolves litigation over the role of four companies in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic. The agreement also requires significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from ever happening again.
Beginning in 2022 and ending in 2038, Chatham County will receive a total of $2.9 million in Opioid Settlement funds, averaging approximately $161,000 per year. Given its range of stakeholders, coordinated planning efforts to address the opioid crisis locally, and history, the SPPCS will be the coordinating partnership for the Opioid Settlement funds in Chatham County.
Discussion & Analysis: The Sheriff's Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances will provide an update on its collaborative work, including plans regarding the Opioid Settlement funds.
How does this relate to the Comprehensive Plan: Relates to Goal...
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