Evansville’s Plan for Opioid Settlement Funds

Opioid Settlement Background

The opioid crisis has hit communities across America hard, and here in Evansville and throughout the Hoosier state, we've seen the devastating effects firsthand. In response to this public health emergency, state attorneys general and local governments nationwide took legal action against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and retailers for their role in fueling the epidemic.

These lawsuits led to several landmark settlements, with major pharmaceutical manufacturers like Purdue Pharma (maker of OxyContin) and distributors agreeing to pay billions in damages. These settlements represent one of the largest civil litigation resolutions in U.S. history, with money specifically earmarked for addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery services.

Both our neighbors in Kentucky and we here in Indiana successfully secured portions of these national settlements. Through a carefully structured allocation process, these funds have made their way down to local communities most affected by opioid addiction. According to the Mayor's Office announcement, Evansville is part of a broader $54 billion federal settlement with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—with substantial funding now reaching our community.

This landmark settlement ensures accountability from pharmaceutical companies while providing communities like Evansville with dedicated resources to heal from decades of addiction devastation—funds that cannot be diverted to other government purposes.

How Much Money Is Coming to Evansville?

Our city of Evansville has been allocated approximately $1.2 million in opioid settlement funds for 2024. This significant investment represents our community's share of the broader national and state-level settlements reached with pharmaceutical companies and distributors.

The Evansville City Council, working alongside the Mayor's Office, has created a formal process to distribute these funds to organizations and initiatives that directly tackle the opioid crisis within our community. The distribution follows specific guidelines ensuring the money goes toward prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts rather than being absorbed into general municipal funds.

This funding isn't just a one-time deal—Evansville is expected to receive additional settlement dollars in coming years as part of the structured payout agreements. These future payments will depend on the terms negotiated in various settlement agreements and may vary based on multiple factors, including how well pharmaceutical companies fulfill their settlement obligations.

Local Recovery Partnerships

Here in Evansville, we've taken a collaborative approach to addressing the opioid crisis by partnering with trusted community organizations. These partnerships tap into existing infrastructure and expertise to maximize the impact of settlement dollars on those most affected by addiction in southern Indiana.

Following Mayor Stephanie Terry's request for proposals, as reported in local media, several key organizations have been selected to receive portions of the approximately $1.3 million in settlement funds. These organizations represent a diverse cross-section of our community's addiction response network.

Major recipients include Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, which provides comprehensive mental health and addiction services throughout the region, and Youth First, Inc., which focuses on prevention and early intervention for young Hoosiers. Additionally, law enforcement mental health outreach programs and expanded Narcan distribution initiatives have received crucial funding to address immediate overdose prevention needs in our neighborhoods.

Organization	Focus Area
Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare	Comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment
Youth First, Inc.	Youth prevention and early intervention
Law Enforcement Programs	Mental health outreach and crisis response
Narcan Distribution Initiatives	Overdose prevention and emergency response

What the Funds Are Supporting

The opioid settlement funds are being channeled toward specific, high-impact initiatives designed to save lives and create sustainable recovery pathways. These investments target critical gaps in Evansville's addiction response system:

• First Responder Training: Better mental health and addiction response training for our police, firefighters, and EMS teams, helping them more effectively handle crisis situations involving folks struggling with opioid use disorder.
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): Wider access to proven treatments like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone, which have shown real results in reducing opioid dependence and preventing overdose deaths across Indiana.
• Youth Prevention Programs: Educational campaigns and early intervention initiatives targeting young Hoosiers before addiction takes hold, focusing on schools and community centers throughout Evansville.
• Recovery Housing: Creating and expanding stable housing options for individuals in early recovery, providing that crucial support during the tough transition period when people are most vulnerable.
• Narcan Distribution: Making this life-saving overdose reversal medication widely available throughout public spaces, businesses, and community organizations in our city.

Transparency in Fund Use

For settlement funds to truly benefit our community, being open about how the money gets allocated and spent is essential. Evansville has put in place several accountability measures to make sure these funds achieve their intended purpose of addressing opioid-related harms and supporting recovery.

City officials have promised regular public updates on fund distribution and program outcomes. While specific oversight structures are still evolving, the allocation process has included input from local healthcare providers, recovery advocates, and Hoosiers with lived experience of addiction.

The Board of Commissioners has formally recognized the importance of the opioid settlement through adopted resolutions that demonstrate governmental commitment to addressing the crisis. This official recognition helps establish the framework for ongoing accountability in how the funds are managed.

What Taxpayers Should Know

As a resident of Evansville and Indiana, you have specific rights regarding the use of opioid settlement funds in your community:

• Right to Information: You can ask for details about how settlement money is being spent by submitting public records requests to the city clerk's office or by attending city council meetings where allocations are discussed.
• Protected Purpose: Settlement funds are legally restricted to addressing the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, and recovery services—they can't be diverted to general budget needs or unrelated law enforcement activities.
• Community Voice: Local recovery advocacy groups from around the Evansville area have been consulted in shaping funding priorities, ensuring those with direct experience of addiction have a say in how resources are used.
• Public Reporting: Updates on program outcomes and fund expenditures must be made available through the Mayor's Office and relevant city departments.

If you're concerned about how funds are being used, you can reach out to your city council representative or attend public comment sessions at council meetings where opioid response initiatives are discussed.

Community Impact Estimates

While we'll see the full effects of settlement funding develop over time, Evansville officials and healthcare providers have identified several expected outcomes from these investments. These projections help us measure progress and ensure resources go where they can make the biggest difference in our Indiana community.

Based on similar programs in other communities, we in Evansville can expect to see measurable improvements in several key areas. This includes increased treatment access for hundreds of residents currently unable to get appropriate care, and potentially significant drops in overdose rates as prevention and harm reduction efforts expand throughout the region.

Just the expanded Narcan distribution program alone is expected to place thousands of additional doses throughout our community, potentially saving dozens of Hoosier lives each year. While Indiana's statewide settlement framework provides general guidance, Evansville is developing localized metrics to track progress specific to our community's needs.

• Estimated 20-30% increase in treatment capacity across the city
• Potential 15-25% reduction in opioid overdose deaths over 3-5 years
• Distribution of 3,000+ additional Narcan doses throughout Evansville
• Enhanced support for hundreds of residents seeking recovery services
• Improved first responder capabilities in addressing addiction-related emergencies

What Still Needs Support

Despite the significant investment from settlement funds, several critical needs remain underaddressed in Evansville's response to the opioid crisis:

• Equity in Service Access: Black communities and rural areas in southern Indiana continue to face barriers to treatment and recovery services, with fewer culturally appropriate programs available in these areas.
• Youth Recovery Housing: There's still a significant gap in age-appropriate housing options for young Hoosiers in recovery, leaving this vulnerable population without stable environments where they can heal properly.
• Family-Centered Recovery: Women with children face unique challenges in accessing treatment, with not enough programs that work around parenting responsibilities or provide family services.
• Reentry Support: Folks returning from incarceration with histories of opioid use disorder need specialized support to prevent relapse and overdose—an area where we currently lack adequate programming in Evansville.
• Long-term Recovery Services: While immediate treatment gets substantial attention, extended recovery support services—crucial for staying sober over the long haul—remain underfunded.

Community advocacy groups across the region have highlighted these gaps through public forums and direct communication with city officials. Future funding rounds may need to prioritize these areas to create a more comprehensive response to the opioid challenges we face here in Evansville.