The Southwestern Commission requests proposals to create a strategic plan for the utilization of opioid settlement funds for Region A.
Geographic area to be served: The Region A counties in North Carolina to include Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain.
Background: In the summer of 2021, national settlements were reached with opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. Under the settlements, a historic $26 billion agreement will help bring desperately needed resources to communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State and local governments directs how the opioid settlement funds are distributed and used in 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 NC’s 100 counties and 17 municipalities. The counties in Region A are set to receive approximately $20,000,000 over an 18-year period. Before spending settlement funds, they must first select which opioid mitigation strategies they would like to fund.
In November 2022, representatives from the region convened and decided to support the development of a regional strategic plan that will provide direction for the effective utilization of the opioid settlement funds in Region A. This RFP seeks qualified applicants seeking to lead a regional strategic planning process and deliver a strategic plan that includes the interests of each county and the region as a whole.
Purpose: The purpose of this RFP is to seek proposals from qualified applicants to facilitate a strategic planning process for Region A that will result in an actionable plan to develop and
implement a scope of services to prevent, treat and maintain long-term recovery of substance use and addiction. The services will be grounded in principles of equality and fairness and be fiscally
sustainable. The outcome of this process will be a strategic plan that presents a clear approach and planning process supported by relevant data and analysis of trends, identification of opportunities and strategies, a process to prioritize and focus county programs and services, and an implementation plan with performance measures that track progress on achieving the goals of the plan.
Full Request for Proposals
Addendum #1- Responses to Questions