Kent County Board of Commissioners Approves Opioid Settlement Spending Plan
Grand Rapids, MI (July 18, 2024) – The Kent County Board of Commissioners has approved a comprehensive plan for the first two years of investment of the opioid settlement funds allocated to Kent County. This plan outlines the framework for future spending, aiming to combat the opioid crisis in the community by investing in a wide range of services.
The opioid settlement is the result of a multidistrict lawsuit brought nationally by governments against opioid-related defendants, including drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies. Kent County is set to receive a total of $19,075,917 in variable annual payments through 2038. To date, Kent County has received $4,698,866 in settlement funding.
In 2023, 93 Kent County residents died from drug overdoses, with opioids involved in 68 percent of these cases. “The opioid crisis has touched countless lives in our community,” said Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Stan Stek. “This spending plan is a critical first step in addressing the epidemic and providing much-needed resources to those affected, working towards a healthier community.”
Since 2016, the Kent County Opioid Task Force has been working to combat the epidemic by expanding education, decreasing stigma, distributing naloxone, and sharing best practices among community partners. “The decisions on how to spend the settlement funds were carefully considered with an eye toward increasing investments in evidence-based programs with past success and beginning to invest in new strategies," said Rachel Jantz, Kent County Health Department Epidemiologist and Co-Chair of the Kent County Opioid Task Force.
The settlements define the eligible uses of the funds. Kent County’s approved spending plan allocates initial funding across key service categories, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and cross-sectional services. Specific funding areas for the first two years include:
- Expanding recovery coach services for those at high risk of overdose: $200,000 per year
- Increasing funding for jail-based treatment programs: $400,000 per year
- Enhancing community distribution of naloxone: $30,000 per year
- Improving access to harm reduction tools, including fentanyl test strips: $10,000 per year
- Broadening evidence-based prevention curricula for middle and high school students: $125,000 in the second year
The spending plan was informed by opioid data from the Kent County Health Department, the priorities set by the Kent County Opioid Task Force, and insights from the Overdose Fatality Review of Kent County. It involved engagement with stakeholders in a series of meetings throughout 2023 and 2024.
The KCHD, the KCOTF, and the KCOFR will continue to monitor the epidemic closely and will present funding recommendations for future years to ensure ongoing and effective responses to this crisis.
For more information on the Opioid Settlement Spending Plan and ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Kent County, visit the KCHD's website.
