Funds received from settlement agreements and bankruptcies in opioid litigation will reduce overdose deaths through prevention, treatment, enforcement and recovery programs in local Arkansas communities
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Nov. 4, 2022) – During a press conference on Friday, representatives from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP) announced available funding for Arkansas organizations and programs addressing opioid misuse and addiction. The Partnership, formed by the Association of Arkansas Counties and the Arkansas Municipal League, oversees the strategic disbursement of opioid settlement dollars at the city and county levels. Interested applicants are invited to visit arorp.org to learn more about funding and submission guidelines.
Partnership Director Kirk Lane, who previously held the position of Arkansas State Drug Director, said during the conference “This partnership represents wrongs made right, a significant step to abate the loss families and individuals have experienced due to opioid misuse and addiction. Every dollar received by Arkansas cities and counties will be dedicated to targeted, evidence-based solutions on a local level.”
Lane also announced the appointment of Tenesha Barnes as assistant director of the Partnership who will focus on policy development and strategic planning to ensure effective service delivery and outcomes for the new initiative.
Together, Barnes and Lane shared what applicants should expect during the application process. Once applications for funding are submitted via the Partnership’s website, they will be reviewed by an appointed advisory board to make recommendations about which programs and strategies should be funded in a manner consistent with approved purposes, settlement agreements, and court orders.
Advisory board members who were recently chosen by directors of the Partnership, Association of Arkansas Counties and the Arkansas Municipal League include:
Funding opportunities through ARORP are ongoing, and therefore do not have submission deadlines, and should support public and private evidence-based projects. For more information about programs the Partnership will support, please read the funding guidelines at arorp.org.
About the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), an initiative of the Arkansas Municipal League and the Association of Arkansas Counties, represents an unprecedented, united front between the representatives of local government to abate the loss of life caused by the opioid epidemic in Arkansas communities. The Partnership oversees the strategic disbursement of opioid settlement dollars at the city and county levels and works to reduce overdose deaths through prevention, treatment, enforcement, and recovery. ARORP’s message is simple: be bold, stand together and commit to abating opioid misuse and addiction in Arkansas. To learn more and submit a request for funding, visit arorp.org.