Opioid Solutions Leadership Network
NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network is a learning community for county leaders who are committed to investing opioid settlement funds to save lives and address the needs of people affected by substance misuse. Using NACo’s signature peer learning model, the Network convenes leaders from across county government, including elected officials, agency leaders and practitioners, to share knowledge and offer support across state lines. By creating a national network of county opioid settlement decision makers, NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network aims to empower counties to invest opioid settlement funds in innovative, equitable and evidence-based opioid abatement strategies.
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Past Programming
In 2022, NACo held a national call for applications to join the inaugural cohort of the Opioid Solutions Leadership Network. Through a competitive application process, 30 county leaders were selected to participate in the 2023 cohort. Participants convened four times over the course of the year to build relationships, learn about innovative opioid abatement strategies and receive implementation support from subject matter experts.
- Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, Director of Health and Human Services, Baltimore County, Md.
- Hon. Kevin Boozel, Commissioner, Butler County, Pa.
- Brandy Carney, Director, Department of Public Safety & Justice Services, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Lauren Carr, Executive Director, Graves County Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention, Graves County, Ky.
- Marlene Collick, Director of Community Corrections, Genesee County, Mich.
- Hon. Lee Constantine, Commissioner, Seminole County, Fla.
- Scott Coughenour, Executive Director, Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Erie County, Pa.
- Brad Finegood, Strategic Advisor, Department of Public Health, King County, Wash.
- Hon. Catherine (Cassie) Hall, Commissioner, Mineral County, Nev.
- Lisa Harrison, Health Director, Granville and Vance Counties, N.C.
- Hon. Brian Holt, Supervisor, Walworth County, Wis.
- William "Billy" Horbatt, Municipal Alliance Coordinator, Division of Behavioral Health, Monmouth County, N.J.
- Hon. Donna Iannone, Commissioner, Sullivan County, Pa.
- Jessica Jaramillo, Interim Director of Behavioral Health Services, Bernalillo County, N.M.
- Debra Kubitskey, Assistant Administrator, Jackson County, Mich.
- Michael Lappen, Behavioral Health Services Administrator, Milwaukee County, Wis.
- Jamie Michael, Director of Health and Human Services, Doña Ana County, N.M.
- Jenine Miller, Director of Behavioral Health, Mendocino County, Calif.
- Hon. Gary Moore, Judge/Executive, Boone County, Ky.
- Hon. Karen Moore, Commissioner Chair, Gladwin County, Mich.
- Hon. Dan Mosley, Judge/Executive, Harlan County, Ky.
- Hon. Mark Potts, Mayor, Jefferson County, Tenn.
- Hon. Greg Puckett, Commissioner, Mercer County, W.Va.
- Kimberly Reilly, County Alcohol and Drug Coordinator, Ocean County, N.J.
- Danny Scalise II, Public Health Director, Burke County, N.C.
- Susan Smith, Health Officer, Wood County, Wis.
- Captain Selenamarie Suber, Program Coordinator/Captain, Community Partnership Paramedicine Program, Pasquotank County, N.C.
- Hon. Reagan Taylor, Judge/Executive, Madison County, Ky.
- Hon. Gloria Whisenhunt, Commissioner, Forsyth County, N.C.
- Hon. Kathryn Whittington, Commissioner, Ashtabula County, Ohio
In April 2023, participants traveled to Granville and Vance Counties, N.C. for the first peer exchange. Granville and Vance Counties are adjacent, rural counties that border Virginia to the north and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan areas to the south. Hosted by Granville Vance Public Health, the local health department, the program explored the following learning themes:
- Delivering evidence-based treatment in rural communities,
- Coordinating services to create a comprehensive system of care, and
- Overcoming barriers and utilizing opioid settlement funds as a lever for change.
In addition to educational presentations, the program incorporated interactive activities to help participants articulate their visions and identify feasible actions to maximize the potential of opioid settlement funds in their home jurisdictions.
In August 2023, participants traveled to Milwaukee County, Wis. for the second peer exchange. Milwaukee County is a large urban county with a demonstrated commitment to eliminating health disparities. Hosted by Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Services, the program explored four learning themes:
- Family-centered approaches to care for substance use disorder,
- Empowering and impactful community engagement strategies,
- Developing targeted interventions to reduce health disparities, and
- Using opioid settlement funds to address funding gaps.
This peer exchange included joint programming with NACo’s Prenatal-to-Three County Leaders Academy, an annual convening of county leaders committed to improving outcomes for young children and their families. Programming included panel discussions, a meeting with community leaders, a mobile tour and an interactive activity.
Future Programming
NACo will continue to facilitate programming for the Opioid Solutions Leadership Network in 2024. A limited number of positions are available for new participants. For more information, please contact Samantha Karon, Senior Program Manager for Substance Use Disorder at skaron@naco.org.
Opioid Solutions Center
NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.
Opioid fight gets resources, faces pitfalls after settlement
Counties are receiving a sizable amount of money from the national opioids settlement, but the needs generated by the crisis continue to grow.
Counties invest opioid settlement funds to save lives
NACo's Opioid Solutions Leadership Network gathered for the first time in Granville and Vance counties, N.C to learn from experts, share their local strategies and observe the region’s opioid solutions in action.
Family response is key to treating opioid disorders
Milwaukee County, Wis. is taking steps to make sure those resources are as close to the people who need them as possible, including strategic placing of harm-reduction vending machines in historically underinvested neighborhoods.
County Officials Discuss Harm Reduction as a Path Forward through the Overdose Epidemic
At NACo’s 2023 Legislative Conference, county officials discussed harm reduction as a path forward through the opioid epidemic. Three participants in NACo’s Opioid Solutions Leadership Network served as panelists at the workshop.