Opioid Settlement Fund

Jackson and Cottonwood Counties are receiving $1.1 million through the year 2038 to respond to the negative impacts associated with opioid use disorders. These funds do not come from taxpayer dollars. The money comes directly from national legal settlements with the pharmaceutical companies and distributors that were sued for their role in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.

National Settlement

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office joined the historic $26 billion multi-state settlement agreements with pharmaceutical distributors and opioid manufacturers in 2021. This settlement will bring more than $300 million to Minnesota counties and cities. Jackson County's expected portion of the settlement is $527,000 and Cottonwood’s expected portion is $651,000 over 18 years. These funds will be designated for prevention, reducing harm, and providing recovery resources for those impacted by opioid use.  Learn more about the settlement by clicking on this link: Fighting the Opioid Epidemic in Minnesota 


Guide for Distribution of Opioid Funds

According to the Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the Public Health departments shall serve as the lead agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as Local Governments decide how to leverage and disburse Opioid Settlement Funds. In their role as Chief Strategist, public health departments will;

  • Convene multi-sector meetings

  • Lead efforts that build upon local efforts like Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans

  • Foster community focused and collaborative evidence-informed approaches that prevent and address addiction across the areas of public health, human services, and public safety. 

  • Consult with municipalities located within their county.

  • Collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the county where appropriate.

  • Use Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Guiding Principles to ensure proper spending of opioid litigation funds.


Opioid Settlement Advisory Council of Cottonwood and Jackson Counties

An Opioid Settlement Advisory Council has been created to oversee the distribution of these funds. The purpose of the council is to advise the Jackson/Cottonwood County Government as to how to most effectively, efficiently, and equitably spend the funds to mitigate the effects of opioid use. The council has representation from multiple sectors such as healthcare, education, law enforcement, addiction treatment/recovery, veteran services, EMS, community members with lived experience of addiction, and more.  The Opioid Settlement Advisory Council is guided by adopted bylaws, linked here: County Opioid Bylaws


Opioid Council meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 12:00-1:30PM. Please note as Council duties change, meeting times may be subject to change. Meeting notes can be found by clicking here. 

 

If you have questions regarding the Opioid Settlement Advisory Council, please contact opioid@dvhhs.org.

 

Data

Minnesota opioid related data can be found on Minnesota Department of Health’s opioid dashboard. The dashboard contains detailed information on overdose deaths, opioid-related hospital visits, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed, the prevalence of substance use disorder, and more. 


The Opioid Settlement Advisory Council conducted a community Input Survey to learn what priorities our community members would like to see funded. To see the results of the survey, along with other data on the impacts of opioid addiction and other substance use in Cottonwood and Jackson Counties, please follow this link: Substance Use Report.


**This site will be supplemented and updated as new information becomes available.