Guilford County officials are putting settlement money from Big Pharma to work – and they’ve been asking the community to help guide them.

Recently, the county held its third annual stakeholder input session and asked the participants how to best spend the money – just over $40 million – that it’s receiving in opioid settlement funds over the next 17 years.

The event brought together 48 people from 20 different agencies and groups, including law enforcement, schools, nonprofits, health providers and Guilford County government.

Hosted by the Guilford County Division of Public Health, the meeting focused on how to make the most of the money to be used to fight the county’s opioid epidemic – both in the near term and over the long term.

Guilford County has already received $12.1 million of its total allotment, and about $9 million is being spent in fiscal 2025.

 Interim County Manager and Health and Human Services Director Victor Isler said the county’s approach covers the full continuum of care.

“I am proud of the comprehensive nature of the opioid settlement plan, from education to early intervention to residential service delivery,” he said. “This session reflects our commitment to addressing the opioid crisis with the full spectrum of care and support our community deserves.”

Some of the major initiatives for 2024-2025 include the following:

  • Creating a new public dashboard on the county’s website to track opioid projects and spending
  • Distributing 3,800 naloxone kits and test strips through public health and community partners, and over 1,100 naloxone kits through vending machines
  • Funding harm reduction efforts, such as GCSTOP’s low-barrier MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder) clinic and services through the NC Survivors Union
  • Beginning construction on a new residential treatment facility at the Lees Chapel site
  • Dedicating funding and completing the facility design for a new Women with Children Recovery Center
  • Supporting overdose prevention events and community training sessions with over 2,100 participants
  • Increasing funding for the Post Overdose Response Team, which connects overdose survivors with care.

County data shows that, in 2024, Guilford’s overdose death rate was 38.7 per 100,000 residents – which comes to 213 lives lost.

During the meeting, some participants praised the county’s progress in harm reduction, education, and the establishment of inter-agency partnerships. They also shared ideas for improvement – like collaborating more with Greensboro’s Behavioral Health Response Team, expanding maternal health education, sharing more data, and including more people with “lived experience” in decision-making.

“This year’s meeting reaffirmed the strength of our collaborative approach,” said Amanda Clark, Guilford County’s Drug and Injury Prevention Manager. “While there is still work to be done, the progress we are seeing gives us hope and a roadmap for continued success.”

Ongoing efforts include work by GCSTOP, the NC Survivors Union, and Volunteers of America –  which are all focused on harm reduction and support for those affected by opioid use disorder.

For people who need help with addiction, Guilford County encourages reaching out to the Behavioral Health Center or calling 988 for immediate assistance.

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