FAQs
- Increasing access to treatment
- Preventing fatal overdoses
- Reducing the harms from substance use disorder
What will Allegheny County spend the funds on?
The opioid settlement funds will be used for programs and services that are difficult to fund through other avenues. These services include:
1. Treating Opioid Use Disorders
This includes supporting people in treatment and recovery, establish connections to care and addressing the needs of criminal justice-involved persons and pregnant and parenting women
2. Preventing Opioid Misuse
This includes harm reduction, preventing poor prescribing practices and reducing misuse of opioids
3. Addressing other effects of the opioid epidemic.
This will include training first responders as well as research into the epidemic.
When will Allegheny County receive the funds, and how much?
The first two payments were received in 2022. A single annual payment is made every December starting in 2023 through December 2038. The amounts will fluctuate with one large payment of $21M and other payments ranging from $4M-$10M.
What is the local impact of opioids on public health?
In Allegheny County, the number of overdose deaths peaked in 2017 at 835. However, since 2019, we’ve seen a 19% increase in overdoses from 570 to 689. In addition, Black people are disproportionately represented in overdose deaths. The opioid settlement funds will enable Allegheny County to expand our services to meet this critical public health issue.
Allegheny County developed this interactive dashboard where users can explore information about people who have experienced an accidental overdose.
What other efforts are underway to combat opioid use disorder?
Allegheny County is planning and monitoring substance abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services. The county invests more than $500 million in its behavioral health system annually, including more than $100 million annually in substance use treatment and prevention in support of the long-term goals of:
Existing funding streams include: Medicaid, PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), and grants from the Centers for Disease Control.
Who administers opioid funds received by Allegheny County?
In Allegheny County, funds are administered and distributed by county departments such as the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD), the Department of Children Initiatives (DCI) and the Department of Human Services (DHS).
Who is DHS partnering with on these efforts?
DHS is proud to partner with the following organizations on the opioid settlement fund efforts: