SWHHS and county to collaborate on opioid settlement funds

Rock County will pool its opioid settlement dollars with other Southwest Health and Human Services members as the best use of the funds.
Rock County will receive an average of $14,655 for the next 18 years, according to the lawsuit settlement.
Ann Orren, SWHHS community public health supervisor, talked with commissioners at their Oct. 18 meeting.
“According to the memo of agreement that cities and counties signed (in January), public health is the lead agency and chief strategist to collaborate and respond to local issues and can help counties and cities try to decide where these monies would be better spent,” she said.
“One of the important things is to have this money go toward evidence-based things for both prevention, intervention and treatment, and invest in youth prevention. All three of these things we touch.”
Together the six SWHHS-member counties — Rock, Lyon, Pipestone, Murray, Lincoln and Redwood — will have $2.6 million from the multi-state law suit settlement. The settlement comes from pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
The local money is part of more than $300 million divided among state counties and municipalities.
The settlement comes as a response to the rapid increase in the overuse, misuse, abuse and overdose deaths attributed to opioids, a class of moderate to strong painkillers.
More than 5,500 Minnesotans have died, and opioid use has devastated families and communities across the state. The settlement dollars are intended to help communities provide services and resources to address the crisis.
“Our goal is to meet with community members to decide where it can go and disburse it out — whether it is to law enforcement or treatment centers, prevention coalitions or wherever — that is the goal,” Orren said.
“We don’t have the capacity to do the work or take the money and utilize it ourselves.”
Local coalition #Luv1LuvAll member Wanda Jarchow inquired about the settlement.
“I am here to find out where the money is going because I would like us to partner together,” she said. “As I think we can make better progress if we are all heading in the same direction.”
#Luv1LuvAll has several task forces involved in narrowing the gap for anyone facing poverty situations in various identified areas: oral health, brain health, one-source guide, housing and opioid use.
Jarchow said the oral health task force recently received a three-year $136,000 grant and is partnering with Nobles County, who received a similar grant, to provide affordable dental care access locally.
According to Orren, Lyon and Pipestone counties have agreed to pool their opioid settlement dollars with Rock County and are waiting for Lincoln, Murray and Redwood to make a final decision.