• Purpose: Support collaborative strategic planning to address opioid issues, including staff support, facilitation services, or any activity or combination of activities in support of collaborative strategic planning (as listed in Exhibit C to the MOA).
• $330,000 allocated

April 2026 Update: These funds support the Opioid Overdose Prevention Coordinator (OOPC) position at the Chatham County Public Health Department (CCPHD) to oversee opioid settlement funds and lead the county’s strategic planning efforts. The OOPC leads the SPPCS and its subcommittees and manages contracts with subrecipients including all invoices and reporting.

• Purpose: Support evidence-based addiction treatment consistent with the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s national practice guidelines for the treatment of opioid use disorder through Opioid Treatment Programs, qualified providers of Office-Based Opioid Treatment, Federally Qualified Health Centers, treatment offered in conjunction with justice system programs, or other community-based programs offering evidence-based addiction treatment. This may include partial or full capital expenditures for facilities that offer evidence-based treatment for OUD. This includes Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) with any medication approved for this purpose by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• $330,000 allocated

April 2026 Update: CCPHD awarded funding to Piedmont Health Services and Chatham Recovery to support their MOUD services and provide financial assistance to individuals with opioid use disorder who have no health insurance, are under-insured, or who cannot otherwise afford treatment.

Recovery Support Services (Recovery Support Subcommittee) 

• Purpose:  Fund evidence-based recovery support services, including peer support specialists or care navigators based in local health departments, social service offices, detention facilities, community-based organizations, or other settings that support people in treatment or recovery, or people who use drugs, in accessing addiction treatment, recovery support, harm reduction services, primary healthcare, or other services or supports they need to improve their health or well-being.
• $150,000 allocated

April 2026 Update: This strategy has provided funding for Chatham residents with lived experience to become certified as Peer Support Specialists and provides stipends for people with lived experience who participate in advisory group meetings. The funding has also provided Chatham Transit fare cards for Chatham residents who need access to recovery services and programs.

• Purpose: Fund programs offering recovery housing support to people in treatment or recovery, or people who use drugs, such as assistance with rent, move-in deposits, or utilities; or fund recovery housing programs that provide housing to individuals receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid use disorder.
  • $150,000 allocated

Early Intervention (Prevention Subcommittee) 

• Purpose: Fund programs, services, or training to encourage early identification and intervention for children or adolescents who may be struggling with problematic use of drugs or mental health conditions, including Youth Mental Health First Aid, peer-based programs, or similar approaches. Training programs may target parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health or human services professionals, or others in contact with children or adolescents.
• $120,000 allocated

April 2026 Update: CCPHD awarded funding to Communities in Schools of Chatham County, Reintegration Support Network, and El Futuro, Inc. to support their various early intervention efforts being implemented for youth and families in the county.

Naloxone Distribution (Harm Reduction Subcommittee) 

• Purpose: Support programs or organizations that distribute naloxone to persons at risk of overdose or their social networks, such as Syringe Service Programs, post-overdose response teams, programs that provide naloxone to persons upon release from jail or prison, emergency medical service providers or hospital emergency departments that provide naloxone to persons at risk of overdose, or community-based organizations that provide services to people who use drugs. Programs or organizations involved in community distribution of naloxone may, in addition, provide naloxone to first responders.
• $210,000 allocated

April 2026 Update: Chatham County utilized funds under this strategy to expand access to harm reduction supplies, including Naloxone. This includes providing no-cost, 24/7 access to naloxone and other supplies via the vending machine located outside the CCPHD clinic in Siler City. Naloxone was also distributed directly to individuals at no-cost via CCPHD lobbies as well as through partnerships with organizations serving people who use drugs or those at risk of overdose. CCPHD continued its leave-behind program, assembling bags for first responders that include Naloxone, Fentanyl/Xylazine test strip kits, and packets of information on local services and other resources such as Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), Never Use Alone, the NC Statewide Peer Warmline, and Medicaid enrollment.

Overview of the Opioid Settlement Funding Process

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners approves an annual funding plan prior to the start of each fiscal year, taking into account recommendations from the Sheriff’s Prevention Partnership on Controlled Substances.

Based on the approved funding plan, Opioid Settlement funds may be made available to private non-profit organizations or businesses to carry out work related to an approved strategy. For external organizations to request this funding, the following process will be followed. 

1. Requests for Applications (RFA) for Funding 

When funds are available for organizations to carry out work related to one of the approved strategies, an announcement will be posted on this webpage and shared with potential applicants. The announcement will include instructions on how to apply for funding along with the amount of funding available, the specified strategy, the application, deadlines, and any additional details about eligible proposals.

 2. Application Review Process

Chatham County Public Health Department staff will screen all applications to ensure they are complete (i.e., they include all the required information and documentation), that they are eligible, and that they have complied with basic RFA requirements. Incomplete and/or ineligible applications will not be reviewed until any issues are resolved. Chatham County Public Health Department County may follow up with an applicant for any clarifications or to request required information that is missing. 

A review committee from the SPPCS will score each application using the established scoring criteria. Any potential reviewers with a conflict of interest or who are affiliated with an organization applying for funds from the specified strategy will not be included on the review committee.  

At their option, the review committee may request additional information from any or all applicants for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the application. However, agencies and organizations are cautioned that reviewers are not required to request clarification. Therefore, all applications should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the agency or organization.  

The review committee will make a recommendation to the SPPCS Coordinating Committee, which will make the final determination for allocating funds.

3. Notification to Applicants 

Chatham County Public Health Department staff will notify all applicants of whether or not they will receive funding. For any funded applicants, Chatham County Public Health Department staff will work with them to execute contracts, establish reporting metrics and deadlines, clarify payment processes, and provide any additional information on funding requirements. 

Please note: The most recent Local Spending Authorization was approved by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners for three fiscal years and will expire in July 2028. When the next round of RFAs is released, information will be shared on this webpage and a notice will be sent to community partners.