Board seeks opioid gaps report before deciding on settlement fund priorities

Clallam County leaders told the Behavioral Health Advisory Board on Sept. 9 that the county will request an opioid use “gaps report” from public‑health epidemiology staff to guide how to prioritize opioid settlement funds.

Christine Dunn, the county’s behavioral health and homelessness program coordinator, said the epidemiologist will prepare a report looking back to 2016 to identify gaps in services and outcomes that could inform spending priorities. “The intent is to discuss that with the Board of Health at their next meeting,” Dunn said, and then to use that analysis to recommend allocations.

County staff also told the board that more opioid settlements are forthcoming and that the Board of County Commissioners is working to sign on to a Purdue settlement and an additional multi‑distributor settlement. Staff cautioned that the anticipated Purdue payment now looks smaller than initially expected and that payout timetables vary; one settlement likely will be split over 15 years while distributor payouts differ by vendor and may run from one to 10 years.

Members raised concerns about rumors that the Behavioral Health Advisory Board sought to “take over” opioid settlement funds and divert them from existing programs, including a harm‑reduction center. A provider representative said she corrected that understanding after hearing it expressed by a county‑level contact. “That was not my understanding,” she said, adding that multiple options for settlement spending remain under consideration.

County staff described several unknowns: exact settlement amounts for Clallam County remain unclear while the distribution schedules and total payout amounts continue to be negotiated at the state and national levels. Staff said they will bring a clearer accounting of funds received and anticipated to the advisory board after the epidemiology report is complete and as settlements formally move forward.

The board did not take formal action on settlement allocations at the meeting; members agreed dissemination of accurate data and the epidemiology report would be essential before prioritizing programs.