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February 6, 2025
Media contact: Timothy Heider, 971-246-9139, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
Statewide harm reduction program gets $5.1 million from Opioid Settlement Board
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Board (Board) is directing $5.1 million toward the Save Lives Oregon harm reduction clearinghouse at Oregon Health Authority. This investment serves to continue the Board’s commitment to fill gaps across the substance use disorder continuum of care.
The Board recognized the importance of distributing life-saving overdose reversal medications, but also that more work remains to provide needed services to people seeking support and services for substance use disorder and overdose prevention.
The allocation represents 22% of the Board’s total allocation budget of $23.4 million for the 2025-27 fiscal biennium that begins July 1. Programs focused on primary prevention, treatment and recovery will receive similar percentages.
The Board also provided an additional $237,000 toward a previously approved recommendation of $830,000 for the expansion of culturally specific services in existing recovery community centers throughout the state, bringing the total allocation to more than $1 million for the current fiscal biennium.
The funding was awarded to OHA, which will administer the allocations. The Board’s decision can be viewed in a recording of its Feb. 5 meeting.
We are confident that this investment will indeed save lives in Oregon by expanding our statewide capacity to provide naloxone and other live-saving services to people most in need,” said Board Co-Chair Annaliese Dolph. “But, in doing so, we recognize that this is not enough, and that additional and sustained investment is urgently needed to stem the tide of substance use disorder and overdose in Oregon. The Board calls on the Legislature to fulfill the Governor's request for ongoing funding for Save Lives Oregon.”
Since July 2021, the State of Oregon has reached agreement on national lawsuits against several companies for their roles in the opioid crisis. Through these agreements, more than $600 million will be awarded to Oregon through 2039. Settlement funds from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies are divided between the State of Oregon (45%) and local jurisdictions (55%).
The state’s share is deposited into the Opioid Settlement, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Fund as it becomes available. This fund is controlled by the 18-member OSPTR Board.
Throughout the current fiscal biennium ending in June 2025, about $98.5 million will be deposited into the OSPTR Fund. To date, more than $90 million has been allocated.
According to the Opioid Settlement Board’s annual report, published this week, Oregon allocated $74 million of the state portion of opioid settlement funds on locally based initiatives and programs across Oregon in the 2023-24 fiscal year (covering the period from July 1, 2023, through June 20, 2024).
The report showed nearly identical percentages allocated across the continuum of substance use services statewide.
Highlights of the spending this biennium include:
- 30% ($27.7 million) for the Nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon –equivalent to 30% of all funds anticipated this biennium. This 30% set-aside will continue throughout the life of the fund as additional settlement payments are deposited.
- 22% ($13.7 million) for the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse to distribute naloxone and other life-saving supplies to organizations across Oregon.
- 22% ($13.7 million) to support primary prevention programs though counties and community based organizations, and to build up and strengthen the statewide substance use disorder prevention workforce.
- 21% ($13.08 million) to establish recovery community centers in counties with the greatest need and expand youth and culturally specific services in existing recovery community centers.
- 23% ($14.3 million) to add mobile and non-mobile medication units to existing Oregon opioid treatment programs (OTPs), and for Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to provide training and technical assistance to jails to improve access to medications for opioid use disorder.
The OSPTR Board will next consider additional investments in research and evaluation.
To learn more about Oregon’s opioid settlement funds, visit oregon.gov/opioidsettlement
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