North Carolina Opioid Settlement

History

In July 2021, a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general announced the National Opioid Settlement - a historic $26 billion agreement that will bring much needed help to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. The funds can only be used to address the opioid epidemic and support treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and other life-saving programs and services. 

The State of North Carolina and all 100 counties, including Yancey County, joined the agreement. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State and Local Government directs how opioid settlement funds are distributed and used throughout our state. To maximize funds flowing to North Carolina communities on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, the MOA allocates 15 percent of settlement funds to the State and sends the remaining 85 percent to North Carolina's 100 counties and 17 municipalities. Yancey County is projected to receive nearly $4,613,743 over an 18-year period. 

Learn more about the Payment Schedule to Yancey and other NC Counties

Before spending settlement funds, each county was required to select which opioid mitigation strategies they would follow as outlined in the MOA. Yancey County Board of Commissioners went straight to work collaborating and planning how to invest the settlement funds for the needs of the entire community. Full reports of how Yancey County participated in planning efforts are linked in the documents tab on this page. 

How to Participate

Each year, Yancey County will hold an Annual Community Meeting on Opioid Settlement Funds, serving as an update and public input session about progress and ongoing needs in the community as it relates to opioid funding. Details regarding time and place of the meeting will be announced publicly in advance. 

Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding funding allocations will be posted here and made available on the bidding opportunities page in May of each year.

Resources

To learn about resources available, visit the Partners Aligned Toward Health - Resources page.

Needs Assessments and Planning Efforts

  1. Yancey County Opioid Needs Assessment Report 2022
  2. Community Learning Process Report 2024

Other Helpful Documents

  1. Opioid MOA (PDF)
  2. NCACC Opioid Litigation Settlement Overview (PDF)
  3. YCHD Health and Wellness Resource List (PDF)

Request for Proposals 

  1. FY2025-26 Yancey County Opioid Settlement Fund RFP (PDF)