Harnett County opioid task force reports $3.8 million received from settlements, outlines treatment and harm-reduction spending

Harnett County officials updated the Board of Commissioners on May 13 about the county’s opioid task force, the status of opioid settlement funds and program activity, including jail-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), expanded Narcan distribution and the creation of recovery housing.

Coley (task force presenter) and Chris (task force presenter) told the board the county expects a roughly $11.9 million payout from national opioid settlements over an 18‑year period and has received a little over $3.6 million to date. Included interest of about $203,000 brings the amount received to about $3.8 million, which is held in a separate fund as required by the memorandum of agreement (MOA).

Why it matters: County leaders said the money is being used to sustain treatment and harm‑reduction programs that county staff say are tied to a decline in several overdose metrics. Officials flagged jail‑based MOUD and peer supports as priorities the task force wants to sustain and expand.

Key details and allocations - Settlement totals and receipts: Task force presenters said the settlement payout schedule spans 18 years and that $3,600,000 has been received; with interest the fund totals roughly $3,800,000 to date. The speakers referred to the county’s MOA that requires the receipts be held in a distinct fund. - Current allocations from that fund reported to the board include: $215,000 dedicated to the MAT/MOUD program at the Harnett County Detention Center (covering medical services and the jail reentry navigator position held by Scarlett); $20,000 for Narcan purchased for community distribution (including Harnett County Schools) managed by the health department; $35,000 to Recovery Life to establish a recovery home; and “over $230,000” marked for the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition covering years two and three of a planned three‑year contract (Alliance Health, a managed‑care organization, was reported to be covering year one). - Programming and partners: The task force said it has hired a coordinator (Charlie Pelosi) and formed subcommittees for education/prevention, treatment/recovery and harm reduction, with an executive team that vets subcommittee recommendations before bringing items to the board. County staff described collaborative work with Alliance Health, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition (staff named: Shane Marie, Charlton, Greg), Harnett County Schools, Campbell University public‑health staff (Dr. David Tillman), and county health director Ainsley. - Local accomplishments cited: expansion of Narcan distribution (kits to community and schools), training of more than 100 school staff to administer Narcan and plans to place naloxone on school buses; the opening of a women’s recovery house for six residents in Dunn organized with Recovery Alive; reported successes from MOUD in jail including individual cases of sustained treatment and housing after release; and outreach by community paramedics linked with harm‑reduction partners. - Data cited: Presenters said counts are trending downward — examples given included 10 opioid overdose emergency‑department visits so far in 2025 versus 17 in the comparable period last year; fentanyl‑positive deaths reported as 16 in 2024 compared with 51 in 2023; and state‑level suspected overdose death counts cited from North Carolina (221 suspected deaths as of Feb. 25 versus 264 the prior year). The presenters characterized these as a positive trend while noting overdoses remain a public‑health concern.

Discussion and next steps Commissioners and municipal managers in attendance asked questions and offered support. Commissioners requested that the task force continue its strategic planning steps and coordination with municipal partners. A county commissioner asked to explore adding an expungement program to reentry and overdose‑response efforts; county staff agreed to set a meeting with the district attorney’s office and to consider re‑entry and expungement linkage as part of broader planning. No formal vote on policy or new appropriations took place during the presentation; task‑force leaders requested municipal input and said they would continue implementing the strategic plan and return with further budget or program requests as needed.

Ending Task‑force leaders asked municipal representatives present to offer feedback and invited further questions; county staff said ongoing program funding and sustainability will depend on a combination of settlement dollars, managed‑care support and future county budget allocations.