Welcome to Region-15 Opioid Settlement Governance Committee.
Overview of Overdose Crisis
The opioid crisis is a significant nationwide public health concern, with opioid overdose deaths almost quadrupling between 2010-2021. Colorado lost 1,799 residents due to drug overdose in 2022 alone. Region-15: Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, and Park Counties witnessed overdoses similar to those across the state.
For more information on Colorado drug overdoses, click HERE.
What are the Opioid Settlements?
The opioid epidemic has created the need for an enormous range of public services.
To combat this crisis, the Colorado Department of Law is suing unscrupulous pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, improving access to treatment in rural and underserved communities, and cracking down on drug cartels to stop the trafficking of counterfeit pills containing deadly fentanyl. Colorado is set to receive around $787 million in funding over the next 18 years.* The funds will be used for prevention, expanding treatment, harm reduction, criminal justice, and recovery programs.
*For the most up-to-date information: https://coag.gov/opioids/
Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser, worked with local governments to develop and execute the Colorado Opioids Summary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that established how opioid settlement funds were to be divided between Colorado with three principles in mind:
1. Maximize settlement funds for Colorado communities.
2. Utilize existing infrastructure to the fullest extent possible.
3. Ensure that regions hardest hit receive adequate funding.
For more information on how settlement funds are distributed, click HERE
How Can the Opioid Settlement Funds Be Used?
Approved uses of funds are listed in Exhibit E and Exhibit A.
Region 15 Governance Committee
The Region-15 Opioid Settlement Governance Committee, representing: Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, and Park Counties, is tasked with determining how to allocate regional opioid settlement funds. The committee focuses on prevention, treatment, recovery, criminal justice, and harm reduction.
Committee Member Responsibilities:
- Allocate settlement funds to priority areas.
- Participate in regular council meetings.
- Develop Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for regional projects.
- Evaluate proposals and select organizations to implement solutions.
Upcoming Meetings
Council meetings are held every 2 months on the third Tuesday from 2:00- 4:00 pm. There is generally a virtual option to attend meetings with an in-person option offered at least 2 times per year.
Meeting dates with Link to Zoom:
- December, 17th 2024 LINK
- February, 18th 2025 LINK
- April, 15th 2025 LINK
- June, 17th 2025 LINK
- August 19th, 2025 LINK
*Typically meetings are held virtually with 1 or 2 in-person meetings offered per year
Click HERE for past meeting agendas, minutes, slides, and recordings.
For more information about the Region-15 Council, contact:
Keri Vignale (R-15 Opioid Abatement Council Coordinator)
Kvignale@chaffeecounty.org
Andrea Carlstrom (Chaffee County Public Health Director)
acarlstrom@chaffeecounty.org
Dwayne McFall (Fremont County Commissioner)
dwayne.mcfall@fremontco.com
*The Region 15 Opioid Governance Committee has also been known as R-15 OSGC (Opioid Settlement Governance Committee) and Region 15 Opioid Abatement Council.
Additional Information:
What Colorado organizations are doing to prevent opioid addiction:
Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
Colorado Attorney General:
https://coag.gov/opioids/
National Info:
https://www.naco.org/resource/osc-nlc-settlement-dollars
