Opioid Settlement Funds

Activity Timeline

December 2025, Orange County Announces 2026 Awards Timeline

Applications for the 2026-2027 Opioid Settlement Funds awards cycle will be available January 1, 2026. For more details about the schedule of activities involved, please visit the Opioid Settlement Funds Awards webpage


August 16, 2025, Second Annual Community Meeting: A Success

Fifty-one individuals attended the County's second community meeting. Presentations included TED talks from service providers, information about the planned crisis diversion center coming to Orange County, and plans to increase harm reduction efforts. 


July 2025, Registration Open for Orange County’s Second Annual Opioid Settlement Funds Community Meeting

The Orange County Opioid Advisory Committee invites community members to attend the Second Annual Opioid Settlement Funds Community Meeting on Saturday, August 16, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Freedom House Recovery Center, located at 140 New Stateside Drive, Chapel Hill. This free event is open to the public. Registration deadline is Monday, August 11 at 5:00 p.m.  

The meeting offers an opportunity for Orange County residents to learn how opioid settlement funds are being used to support local recovery, prevention, and harm reduction efforts.

June 2025, Board of County Commissioners Accepts Funding Recommendations

The following agencies will receive Opioid Settlement Funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year:  

  • El Futuro
  • Freedom House Recovery Center
  • UNC Student Health Action Coalition (SHAC)
  • Piedmont Health Services
  • Reintegration Support Network.


April 2025, Opioid Advisory Committee Recommends Funding for Five Agencies

After scoring the applications, the Committee selected five applicants to recommend to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners for funding. The Board of County Commissioners will make the final funding decision at its meeting on May 6, 2025. 

February-March 2025, Application Review Period

Fourteen agencies (listed below) submitted applications for consideration.  The Opioid Advisory Committee reviewed and scored each application. View the scoring results.

Click on the name of the agency to read its application.

December 2024, Orange County Announces 2025 Awards Timeline 
Applications for the 2025-2026 Opioid Settlement Funds awards cycle will be available January 1, 2025. For more details about the schedule of activities involved, please visit the Opioid Settlement Funds Awards webpage. 

May 2024, Orange County Hires Harm Reduction Coordinator
Housed in the Health Department, the Harm Reduction Coordinator administers the work of the Opioid Advisory Committee. For more about these efforts, visit here. 

April 2024, Orange County Hosts First Annual Opioid Settlement Funds Community Meeting
Service providers, community members and leaders, as well as individuals with lived experience looked at the state of the opioid crisis in Orange County and heard how settlement funds have been used up until now. In interactive breakout sessions, the 60+ attendees then shared and prioritized ideas to better serve those who need treatment for substance use disorders. 

Download the report (pdf) and watch the meeting video below. 

April 2023 - Board of Commissioners Approves the Opioid Advisory Committee Funding Request. 
In addition, the committee asked the BOCC to approve $14,500 to order additional narcan/naloxone and fentanyl testing strips for community vending machines for 2023-24. 

Funding received

SourceAmountDate receivedTotal
ND/J Settlement$261,245Spring 2022$261,245
ND/J Settlement$575,679Summer 2022$836,924
NOAT II$44,629Winter 2023$881,554
ND/J Settlement$163,817Summer 2023$1,045,371
ND/J Settlement$291,800Summer 2023$1,337,171
Summary of Opioid Settlement funds received by Orange County


Funding Recommendations

At it April 18, 2023, Business Meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved the Opioid Advisory Committee's first recommended allotment of funding for Opioid Settlement Funds. The first three items on the chart below are currently funded through grants that expire June 30, 2023. The BOCC approved funds to keep these programs active for the next two fiscal years.

In addition, the committee asked the BOCC to approve $14,500 to order additional narcan/naloxone and fentanyl testing strips for community vending machines for 2023-24.

ItemDate2023-242024-25*
The Lantern Project4/18/23$164,862$173,105
Freedom House4/18/23$122,188$128,297
NC FIT Reentry Program4/18/23$70,000$73,500
Naloxone Distribution4/18/23$14,500N/A
Student Health Action Coalition Syringe Service Program4/18/23$64,200N/A
Reintegration Support Network12/12/23$20,000N/A
OC-EMS Post-Overdose Response Team12/12/23$244,020N/A
Grow Your World12/12/23$20,000N/A
Transition Support & Recovery12/12/23$20,000N/A
Harm Reduction Coordinator12/12/23$108,025(grant covers two years)
Unallocated
$114,474N/A
Total

$1,337,171
* denotes anticipated 5% increase for 2024-25

September 2022 - BOCC Creates Opioid Advisory Committee
The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the creation of the Orange County Opioid Advisory Committee. The committee will advise the Board of Commissioners on how to utilize the county’s share of national opioid settlement funds. For more about the duties and make-up of the Opioid Advisory Committee, click here

March 2020 – Commissioner Sally Greene Begins Service on Statewide Planning Committee 
The committee - comprised of five county commissioners, five county managers and five county attorneys - worked with the N.C. Department of Justice and the N.C. Association of County Commissioners to disburse North Carolina's share of settlement funds. Funding will support treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and other life-saving programs and services in communities throughout the state.

Orange County is expected to receive $6,799,780 through 2040, paid in annual installments, from the National Distributors/Janssen settlement. In addition, Orange County will also receive funds from the National Opioid Abatement Trust II.

January 2018 - Orange County Commissioners Authorize Participation in National Opioid Litigation


More Information about North Carolina’s Response