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An ordinance establishing the Opioid Settlement Steering Committee's role in guiding the strategic use of the Metropolitan Government's opioid settlement funds through a clear, transparent, and data-driven process.
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WHEREAS, overdose deaths and substance use disorder remain acute public-health crises in Nashville and Davidson County and require coordinated, evidence-based, and community-centered responses; and
WHEREAS, opioid settlement funds present an important opportunity to invest in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support, community education, research, and systems improvements, but such investments must be guided by clear priorities, transparent public reporting, and measurable outcomes; and
WHEREAS, the University of Tennessee's Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee ("SMART") Initiative provides guidance and best practices for local governments seeking to implement cost-effective, evidence-based strategies to reduce harm from substance use and improve recovery outcomes; and
WHEREAS, public-facing dashboards and regular reporting improve accountability, help the public understand local needs, and allow for tracking of fatal and non-fatal overdoses, naloxone distribution, treatment capacity, and program performance models already in use at state and local levels in Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council maintains a public dashboard of grant awards and program descriptions, offering a useful framework for transparent reporting and coordination; and
WHEREAS, best practices for overdose and opioid-fund transparency call for clear metrics, timely data updates, accessible public reporting, and program inventories linked to outcomes enabling continuous improvement and community engagement; and
WHEREAS, a recently published the Office of Internal Audit found that governance, reporting, and monitoring of opioid settlement funds should be strengthened to improve transparency and the ability to assess...
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