In response to the opioid epidemic, Massachusetts joined numerous states in filing lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies. On July 21, 2021, the Commonwealth received its first financial settlement from these resolved cases, which held several companies accountable for their role in the ongoing crisis. Massachusetts continues to participate in resolving additional litigation, with further funds expected to be allocated to the state once settlement terms are finalized.
A portion of the abatement funds allocated to Massachusetts—40%—is designated for cities and towns within the Commonwealth that have opted to receive them. These local distributions will occur annually through 2038. The remaining 60% of the funds will be directed to the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. Medfield, a participating municipality, is set to receive a portion of these settlement funds.
All funds must be used to supplement and strengthen resources for prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery efforts. To determine the most effective use of the funds for the Medfield community, the town has contracted with the SAFE Coalition to conduct initial planning steps. These steps include:
• Meeting with community stakeholders, such as representatives from the fire and police departments, the Board of Health, prevention staff, school administrators, and Select Board members.
• Hosting three community listening sessions to engage individuals with lived experience.
• Gathering and analyzing existing data.
• Collecting new data through a community-wide survey, synthesizing the findings, and sharing results.
• Using the findings to guide future planning efforts.
Medfield residents are encouraged to participate in the Medfield Community Survey for Opioid Abatement Fund Utilization, which launched on Friday, February 14. The survey seeks input on how the settlement funds should be used to support the community. Residents’ opinions are vital in shaping future programming to address mental health and substance use in Medfield. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and is entirely anonymous. Community members are urged to share their perspectives to help guide the town’s efforts in combating the opioid crisis. The survey can be found using this link: https://tinyurl.com/opioidsurveymedfield
In addition to the survey, please join us for one of our community listening sessions. These listening sessions will be hosted by the SAFE Coalition. These sessions will help to gather information to inform the town on how to utilize the opioid abatement funds in the best interest of the residents of Medfield. Residents are encouraged to share any personal impact or lived experience as a result of the opioid epidemic, share their ideas about what resourced they’d like to see in the community, learn more about the funds, and ask questions.
There will be three community listening sessions. The first one will be held on Thursday, March 13 at 6:00pm at the Medfield Public Library, the second will be held on Saturday, March 15 at 9:00am at the Medfield Council on Aging, and the final session will be held virtually on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30pm. You can register for the virtual session session using this link: https://tinyurl.com/virtuallistening
For more information or any questions, please email: [email protected]
