Opioid Fund Co-Chairs Release Roadmap to Recalibrate Use of Settlement Funds

WILMINGTON, Del. – As the first year of grantmaking comes to a close, Co-Chairs Attorney General Kathy Jennings and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long shared the results of the third-party report from independent contractor Social Contract with recommendations to maximize the impact of the governing body overseeing Delaware’s opioid settlement funds.  

At Monday’s quarterly meeting, commission members voted to adopt Phase 1 of the Social Contract roadmap to implementation of the recommendations. These recommendations were the result of four months of collaborative meetings, interviews and research with commission and Behavioral Health Consortium experts. Prior to Monday’s meeting, the recommendations were approved at the POSDC’s October Governance Committee for full commission action.    

The POSDC is charged with distributing more than $250 million in opioid settlement funds to expand access to substance use treatment services and combat the opioid crisis in Delaware. The Department of Justice has fought, and continues to fight, tirelessly for these funds. So far, the POSDC has awarded close to $15 million. Between commission and committee members, the POSDC has more than 65 stakeholders engaged in this work.  

 “I am grateful and proud that today, the Commission has voted to adopt a strategic plan that will guide how we get opioid grant dollars to where they are most needed in our state.  Let me be clear:  We should have done this assessment on day one.  But the next best time to do it is now.  I have fought for years – and am still fighting – to hold Big Pharma accountable for the irreparable damage that the opioid crisis has wrought on our loved ones here in the state of Delaware, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every single dollar that they paid us goes to abatement.  That has not always been the case during the first year of grantmaking, though the majority of our awardees have done excellent work,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings.  “I am grateful to Social Contract for providing us an assessment on our existing processes and a roadmap to implement evidence-based strategies so that all of these funds can save lives.  The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission is on course to do just that.”  

“I’ve seen the opioid crisis play out in our communities for decades with many of our behavioral health partners. We’ve sat at the empty kitchen tables, attended funerals, and used Narcan to reverse overdoses but the opioid settlement funds provide so much hope and promise to turn the tide,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long, PhD, RN.   

“As commission co-chairs, Attorney General Jennings and I take our roles in securing, administering and being good stewards of the opioid funds seriously. This work has provided vital funding for dozens of grantees throughout Delaware with the aim of addressing the opioid crisis through a variety of evidence-based treatment and prevention programs in some of the hardest hit communities, across Zip codes, culturally diverse backgrounds, and experiences. We have seen the early successful results of this effort thanks to our many hardworking commissioners, partners and providers: For the first time in 10 years, there has been a decrease in overdose deaths in Delaware.  

“We are constantly striving to improve our processes to ensure more transparency and accountability in the wake of this first year of grantmaking. We engaged with Social Contract to examine our various policies and to make recommendations to build upon best practices furthered by the Behavioral Health Consortium. These efforts will ensure resources reach the desired communities and maximize their impact.”  

Social Contract’s report provides insights to optimize the POSDC’s grantmaking processes and practices, enhance transparency and maximize effective use of settlement funds to reduce the impact of this crisis. To achieve successful grant disbursement, the report outlines additional strategies for commission formation, needs assessment, allocation strategy, solicitation application review and recommendation process, monitoring and evaluation and transparency and accountability.  

The recommendations cover grant strategy, application design, decision-making, and oversight grounded in best and promising practices and informed by stakeholder input. The work tracked current commission processes against core principles for the effective use of settlement funding – transparency and accountability, equity, collaboration, sustainability and data-driven decision making – to create actionable recommendations.  

Recommendations are as follows:  

• Recommendation 1: Conduct and disseminate statewide, comprehensive needs assessments every two years, with annual interim updates, in coordination with local and state governments, academic institutions, and community partners.  

• Recommendation 2: Co-design a multi-year POSDC opioid remediation strategic plan with diverse decision making bodies, funding streams, agencies, organizations, and community members.  

• Recommendation 3: Develop an annual POSDC implementation plan in alignment with the strategic plan that sets current funding priorities and specifies allocation percentages and mechanisms to guide the POSDC’s grantmaking.  

• Recommendation 4: Create transparent and equitable criteria and avenues for funding eligibility that balances trust-based philanthropy practices with rigorous grant eligibility standards.  

• Recommendation 5: Re-design the grant application form to assess alignment with key principles and emphasize an outcomes-focused approach.  

• Recommendation 6: Update application review and scoring processes to ensure due diligence, equity, and transparency.  

• Recommendation 7: Expand investment in ongoing technical assistance for community-based organizations to strengthen their capacity to apply for funding, meet compliance requirements, and enhance their overall impact.  

• Recommendation 8: Develop robust monitoring and reporting processes and tools that capture meaningful quantitative and qualitative data and insights to develop rigorous financial controls, assessments of program implementation challenges, and track for emerging community needs that may require adjustments to the project’s focus.  

• Recommendation 9: Create a public data dashboard that reports on funding decisions and disbursements and the progress and outcomes achieved by funded initiatives.  

It’s expected that additional recommendations come up for discussion at future committee and commission meetings. The commission is made up of a broad range of stakeholders and subject matter experts in the behavioral health field – from clinicians to state agency leads to community leaders. Committees include:  Behavioral Health Resources, Budget and Reporting, Equity, Governance, Local Governments, and Public Outreach and Community Input.   

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