SHARE:  
New Hope for Recovery in
the San Luis Valley:
CO Attorney General Phil Weiser Visits Region Creating Impact with Opioid Settlement Funds
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser attended the grand opening of Hope in the Valley Rehabilitation Center on July 11, located in Alamosa.

Hope in the Valley is one of six awardees that received funding from the first round of the Infrastructure Share from the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) in 2023. To date, over $4 million dollars from the Infrastructure Share has been awarded highlighting the impact opioid settlement funds are beginning to make across the state.  

We look forward to highlighting local Colorado communities in action that are effectively using opioid settlement funds in action. Feel free to share your stories or photos to coac@coag.gov.

"It is often said that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; it’s connection...What we need, therefore, is more community and more connection. That is part of why this project is so meaningful; it represents not only hope in the Valley for those struggling with addiction, but it is another example of how the Valley comes together to support one another." - Attorney General Phil Weiser

Read full remarks here.
Colorado Opioid Abatement Council's
Newly Released Recommendations & Guiding Principles for the Use of Opioid Settlement Funds
The COAC recently adopted the 2024 Recommendations and Guiding Principles for the Use & Management of Opioid Settlement Funds. These recommendations and principles provide guidance to recipients of opioid funds on how to best utilize these funds to maximize their impact in abating the opioid crisis.

The COAC intends to build upon this guidance in the future.
Update Regarding the Purdue Bankruptcy Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court issued their decision on the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy reorganization on June 27, 2024, blocking the agreement from going into effect.

This ruling does not impact amounts or distribution of the $787 million already set to be received by the state of Colorado from other national opioid settlements and does not impact the estimates of funds provided to-date to the 19 Regional Opioid Abatement Councils and Participating Local Governments.
Register Now for the 3rd Annual Opioid Abatement Conference on Monday, September 30!
Join Attorney General Phil Weiser and the COAC for the 3rd Colorado Opioid Abatement Conference in Loveland on September 30th, 2024 at the Loveland Embassy Suites Conference Center. 

This interactive conference will include collaborative break-out rooms and networking sessions, presentations on best practices for addressing the opioid crisis, the nuts and bolts of opioid settlement funds, and how to leverage state and national resources.

Stay a day longer for additional learning! On October 1, 2024, Northern Colorado Collaborative for Addiction and Recovery Services and its partners including the North Colorado Health Alliance, the Health District of Northern Larimer County, North Range Behavioral Health, and Summit Stone Health Partners will come together to host the annual Rethinking Addiction and Recovery Conference the day following the Colorado Opioid Abatement Conference at the same location in Loveland. 

More information forthcoming on a dinner on Monday, September 30, bridging these two events to recognize leaders in this space!
Colorado Highlighted Nationally as Promising Practices for Collaboration on State and Local Opioid Settlement Spending
The National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) partnered to develop case studies in five geographically and politically diverse states that have demonstrated innovative approaches to collaboration within their own unique settlement structures. Colorado is highlighted by both NACo and NASHP as a state leading promising practices!

Click on the links below to learn more about how Colorado and other states are collaborating with local governments to manage opioid settlement funds.

National Association of Counties (NACo) Resource for Local Governments
The NACo recently published a "Five Questions for Counties Considering Harm Reduction as an Opioid Abatement Strategy" to help counties assess the utility and feasibility of harm reduction in their jurisdictions. Click here to view the resource.
Don't forget, you can reach the Opioid Response Unit team at Opioids@coag.gov or at (720)-508-6196!