The group of 15 people tasked with overseeing how Maine will spend approximately $118 million derived from lawsuits against the producers of opioids over the next three decades is nearing a plan to start distributing some of those funds, but it still hasn’t announced exactly when groups will be able to apply for the money.
The Maine Recovery Council has been meeting for the last 12 months to organize itself and establish how it will dispense the millions of dollars expected to pour into the state.
While some have urged the council to speed up its work, to get money to those who can help slow overdoses and increase access to treatment, the person leading the effort emphasized the importance of setting up a disbursement system that will endure over time, explained what the council has been doing so far and pinpointed some of the council’s priorities for funding.
“We’re nearing a plan,” said Pat Kimball, chairperson of the council, though she did not specify a date when the council will accept applications for the funds. “We’ve taken some steps to try to speed this process up.”
Those steps included hiring a full-time coordinator for the council to help manage day-to-day operations as all of the council members are volunteers, and most have day jobs, Kimball said.
The council also hired an expert on the opioid crisis, Kimberly Johnson, in September, to help collect data and identify areas where the millions of dollars could be most helpful for Mainers, Kimball said. Johnson is a former director of what was previously called Maine’s Office of Substance Abuse.
The state launched the Maine Recovery Council in 2022 to oversee the Recovery Fund, which will hold 50 percent of all payments — totalling an estimated $235 million — from national opioid lawsuits that Maine has joined.
Gov. Janet Mills signed into law LD 1722 in April 2022, which established the council. The attorney general’s office then signed memorandums of understanding that defined the scope and power of the council.
For about a year now, the council has had approximately $17 million of the settlement funds on hand, but it hasn’t made any decisions about how to spend it because the council wants to lay a foundation for what will be a long-term community funding program, Kimball said.
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“We want to be able to have long-standing, evidence-based programs that support the community,” Kimball said.
In addition to the administrative work of establishing bylaws, policies and subcommittees, it has sought public input and been putting together an initial budget.
In November, for instance, the council took testimony for more than five hours from people across the state, as well as written testimony, on their priorities for the funds, she said.
Last week, the council’s finance committee approved a preliminary budget that now needs approval from the full council. It is recommending making $30 million available for the next two years, though the budget may change as the amount of funds the state will get isn’t firm.
The initial budget does not show specifically how the funds would be used. The council also still needs to set rules around who is eligible to apply for and receive the funding.
Council members support funding for the broad elements of treatment, prevention, recovery and harm reduction, a public health approach that aims to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and overdoses.
More specifically, the council is looking to evaluate where more detox and residential treatment services may be needed, Kimball said. But the council first wants to see where the state plans to spend money, as the opioid recovery funds cannot be used to replace state funding.
“Are there any gaps, and can we fill in those gaps with our funds?” Kimball said. “Because you don’t want to double up on things.”
In terms of addiction prevention efforts, Kimball said a number of council members voted for the Building Assets, Reducing Risks, or BARR model, as a key way the council could use funds to bolster prevention in schools.
Some schools around Maine already use BARR, which emphasizes a holistic approach to helping every student and sets out a number of strategies for how schools can address kids’ needs, including not just their academic skills but their emotional and social development, according to the Maine Department of Education.
The majority of the council is also interested in supporting initiatives that work to reduce the harmful effects of drug use, such as needle exchanges and more mobile outreach efforts, she said.
Some people have expressed frustration that the council is taking too long to disburse the money, but Kimball said she and the council are committed to using the funds as best as possible to make long-lasting change in Maine.
“We’re as frustrated as the community,” she said. “The ultimate goal is we want to save lives, and we want to make lives healthy.”