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Wyandotte officials detail how opioid settlement funds are being spent on treatment, peer support and Narcan distribution
Summary
County and city officials described use of opioid settlement funds for court-based treatment, co-responder programs, Narcan distribution and peer support. County had received about $1.0M and allocated roughly half; staff warned funds are finite and will taper through 2038.
Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas officials updated the administration and public on July 13 about how they are using opioid settlement dollars from national pharmaceutical litigation.
Chief Financial Officer Shelley Knievin said the Unified Government has received a series of disbursements beginning in 2022; the attorney general administers the distribution formula and the funding will continue through 2038 but will decline substantially. The funds must be used for victims, prevention and treatment and not for general law enforcement activities, she said.
Wesley McCain and department leads described current allocations: community corrections used funds to support drug and behavioral health courts and paid for treatment for 59 supervised individuals (average treatment cost reported), plus $45,000 for drug testing and training that sent staff and judges to national conferences. The sheriffs office co-responder program with Wyandotte Behavioral Health recorded 523 responses last year with about 30% opioid-related calls. The district attorneys office funded a victim advocate and coordinator; staff reported 14 opioid-specific cases and 25 broader drug-court cases.
The health department has distributed Narcan via community vending machines, monthly HHW events, and outreach; they have leveraged donated Narcan when available. "We have actually been able to allocate some of the Narcan. We've been able to, actually, leverage getting free doses of Narcan," interim health director Terry Garrison said.
Fire and police described operational uses that dovetail with prevention and treatment goals. The fire department used funds for a community paramedic program and leave-behind Narcan kits; the police department detailed law-enforcement seizures and prosecution outcomes but Knievin clarified opioid settlement funds are being used for treatment and victim services, not enforcement.
Knievin said the county had received about $1,000,075 and the city about $1,004,360; roughly half of the total receipts had been allocated to projects so far, with allocations and spending continuing. Officials emphasized careful pacing of disbursements and periodic evaluation of program effectiveness before committing remaining funds.
