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Opioid Settlement Advisory Council
Polk County's expected portion of the settlement is $3,241,292.04
Polk County is committed to reducing the negative impacts associated with opioid use disorders by partnering with key sectors and community members with lived experience to develop the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council. The Council will guide the spending of National Opioid Settlement dollars to save lives and prevent further damage.
For more information, contact: sarah.shimek@polkcountymn.gov
- National Settlement
- Advisory Council
- Request for Proposals (RFP)
- Data Reports
- Funding Prioritization
- Funds Usage
- Naloxone Training
On August 20, 2021, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office joined the historic $26 billion multi-state settlement agreements with pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen, and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. This settlement will bring more than $300 million to Minnesota counties and cities over 18 years.
- For more detailed background on the multi-district litigation (MDL), visit the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office – Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – endorsed by nearly 50 major organizations - created the Guiding Principles to ensure proper spending of opioid litigation funds.
- According to the Minnesota Opioids State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the Public Health departments shall serve as the lead agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as Local Governments decide how to leverage and disburse Opioid Settlement Funds. In their role as Chief Strategist, public health departments will:
- Convene multi-sector meetings
- Lead efforts that build upon local efforts like Community Health Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans
- Foster community-focused and collaborative evidence-informed approaches that prevent and address addiction across the areas of public health, social services, and public safety.
- Consult with municipalities located within their county in the development of any Community Health Assessment
- Collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the county where appropriate.
The Council serves to advise the Polk County Board of Commissioners as to how to most effectively, efficiently, and equitably spend the Opioid Settlement funds awarded.
- Candidates that serve on the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council represent a variety of sectors in our community, including, but not limited to: Recovery (individual in recovery or recovery professional), Public Health, Law Enforcement, Treatment / Addiction Medicine, etc.
Advisory Council Members
Appointed Members:
- Elizabeth Boucher
- Melissa Burnette
- Laura DeLage
- Abdirisak Duale
- Cassie Heide
- Catherine Johnson
- Shannon Kronlund
- Andrew Larson
- Marley Melbye
- Nick Neibauer
- Jodi Ramberg
- Aeisso Schrage
- Dr. Mary Sens
- Elisabeth Murphy
- Mary Olson
- Jeff Thorfinnson
Polk County- Greg Widseth, James Tadmann, and Molly Paulsrud
Chief Health Strategist/Public Health- Sarah Shimek, Codi Lehmann, Sarah Reese
Advisory Council Meetings
Meetings are held quarterly at rotating locations throughout Polk County. Community members are encouraged to submit questions or suggest topics they would like addressed by emailing sarah.shimek@polkcountymn.gov prior to the next scheduled meeting.
2026
- January 14: Minutes
2025
2024
- February 7: Minutes
- March 13: Minutes
- April 10: Minutes
- June 12: Minutes
- August 14: Minutes
- October 9: Minutes
2023
- January 11: Minutes
- February 8: Minutes
- February 8: Minutes
- April 12: Minutes
- May 10: Minutes
- June 14: Minutes
- August 9: Minutes
- September 13: Minutes
- October 11: Minutes
- November 8: Minutes
2022
- December 9: Minutes
Polk County Opioid Settlement – Round 2 RFP Update
The application period for the second round of Polk County’s Opioid Settlement Request for Proposals (RFP) is now closed. Thank you to all organizations and partners who submitted proposals.
An announcement of approved applications will be available soon.
RFP Timeline:
- Application Release- September 29, 2025
- Proposals Due- October 29, 2025
- Contact Start Date- January 1, 2026
- Contract End Date- December 31, 2026
Minnesota opioid-related data can be found on Minnesota Department of Health’s opioid dashboard. The dashboard contains detailed information on overdose deaths, opioid-related hospital visits, the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed, the prevalence of substance use disorder, and more.
The Opioid Settlement Advisory Council released a Funding Prioritization Survey in June 2023 to help identify the community's input on how the opioid funds should be spent. The surveys were offered electronically. Paper copies were available to the correctional center and upon request.
The data was analyzed and will help identify funding priorities and allow funds to be awarded using a Request for Proposals (RFP) process expected to be released in early 2024.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners has awarded eight organizations, recommended by the Polk County Opioid Settlement Advisory Council, with the first round of Polk County opioid settlement money. The awardees of the funding will focus their work on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support. Below is a listing of the funded awardees.
| Opioid Epidemic Response - Applicant | Funding Amount | Project Summary |
|---|---|---|
Alluma, Inc. | $82,350 | Care Coordinator/Peer Recovery Specialist (criminal justice-involved persons) |
Crookston Youth Foundation/The Cove | $38,620 | Peer-to-Peer Youth Recovery Support Group & Transportation (Serve Polk County) |
New Heights Elementary School, | $5,000 | Sensory Room – Support students impacted by drug addiction either prenatally or early childhood; emotional modulation |
Tri-County Community Corrections | $99,972 | Project Coordinator & Harm |
Tri-Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. | $41,520 | Family Resource Center - prevention (education, connection to care, and concrete supports) & harm reduction strategies |
University of Minnesota Crookston | $59,664 | Wellness Coordinator/ Peer Health Educators |
Care and Share of Crookston, Inc. | $50,000 | Addiction Counselor |
New Americans Integration Center | $50,000 | Educational Workshops / Direct Services Provider |
The overall breakdown of funds and specifics of the awarded projects can be found here.
Polk County Public Health is now offering free Naloxone training to organizations and community partners across Polk County. Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name, NARCAN, is an easy-to-use nasal spray that works to reverse opioid overdoses.
Training Overview
Public Health staff will come directly to your location to deliver a comprehensive, 1-hour session (timing may vary based on organizational needs).
Training Objectives:
- Identify factors that increase the risk of opioid overdose
- Recognize the signs of an overdose
- Respond effectively to an overdose, including how to administer NARCAN nasal spray
Each participant will receive a free nasal Naloxone (NARCAN) kit (while supplies last).
Register your organization for free Naloxone Training
This initiative is funded by Polk County Opioid Settlement Funds for 2024 and 2025.
For questions about the training, please contact Sarah Shimek at Polk County Public Health at 218-773-4987.
Resources
- Contact your local pharmacy to check for Naloxone availability.
- RiverView Pharmacy: Naloxone Access Point
- Injectable Naloxone: Now available without a prescription and free of charge to the public
- Nasal Spray Naloxone: Available by prescription at the patient's expense.
- Naloxone kits and Fentanyl testing strips are available, which include QR codes for training and support resources.
- Pharmacy Hours:
- Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 7:30 PM
- Weekends: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM (closed from 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM)
- Minnesota Drug Overdose Dashboard- Minnesota Department of Health
- Opioid Resource Wallet Card
- How to Administer Nasal Naloxone