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Forward2025 HRS: Opioid Abatement Funding : The Explanation and Possibilities
Healthcare teams lack awareness and knowledge about harm reduction services, including 1) prevention and response efforts, 2) available resources, 3) promising practices, 4) disease testing and prevention, 5) addiction and recovery services, 6) local and state partnerships, and 7) the current status of the drug overdose epidemic.
Individuals seeking help face significant challenges, including transportation barriers, the inability to leave work without risking job loss, and responsibilities for children, pets, or other dependents. Navigators responsible for linking clients to care also encounter obstacles, such as clients having more immediate or pressing needs like housing or employment, a brief window of time when clients are ready and willing to seek help, and the lack of readily available information on clients' accessibility needs in existing programs.
Online resources play a critical role in addressing these challenges by offering flexible, accessible support options that can bridge the gap between immediate needs and long-term care.
Target Audience
The target audience for this conference includes physicians, nurses, social workers, public health professionals, certified alcohol and drug counselors, community health workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, adult support counselors, and target case managers.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this learning activity, participants will be able to:
Explain the origins, purpose, and legal framework of opioid settlement funds, including key guidelines for their use in abatement strategies.
Identify eligible uses of settlement funds and evaluate best practices for allocating resources toward prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services.
Analyze harm reduction strategies, discuss their role in opioid abatement, and address common barriers to implementation at the local level.
Apply opioid settlement funds to support treatment and recovery efforts within jails, diversion programs, and reentry initiatives in the criminal justice system.
Engage as local leaders, advocates, or community members in decision-making processes to ensure funding reflects community needs and lived experiences.
Lauren Carr, BS
Opioid Settlement Advisor
Kentucky Association of Counties
Lauren is from Graves County Kentucky, and graduated from Murray State University with a Bachelors of
Science in Organizational Communication. Lauren began working in the public health field in 2015 after
her brother, Justin, passed away from a fentanyl overdose in 2011. After his death, it opened her eyes to
the stigma and barriers faced by people who have a substance use disorder. Ever since, Lauren has been
working in various substance use prevention initiatives and harm reduction capacities to reduce
overdose, prevent the spread of infectious disease, and advocate for Kentuckians who suffer from
substance use disorder. At her time at Graves County ASAP, she created a drug free youth coalition,
Mayfield Graves County ASAP Youth Council, which has provided evidence-based prevention strategies
to youth in the community with such events as Friday Night Done Right and You Are Loved suicide
awareness campaign. Five years ago, during a community assessment it was brought up that used
syringes were being found at various locations throughout the town. Lauren was instrumental in
researching, presenting, and passing one of the first syringe exchange program in Western Kentucky.
Lauren resides in Mayfield, KY where she is very involved with her community. She has served on
Mayfield City Council since 2020 and in her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, friends,
hiking, and tending to her houseplants.
Brooke Hiltz, JD
Brooke Hiltz, JD, is a Research Project Manager with the University of Kentucky, where she currently
coordinates multiple grant funded substance use-related harm reduction research projects in
collaboration with faculty researchers and community organizations. Her work includes engaging and
interfacing with a wide variety of external partners, collaborating with internal university departments to
navigate contracts, research budgets, and IRB requirements, drafting and implementing standard
operating procedures, providing grant writing support, and supervising staff. She previously co-
coordinated community engagement efforts for the NIDA-funded HEALing Community Study (HCS) in
Kentucky (KY), an ambitious $87 million, community-engaged study to reduce opioid overdose deaths in
67 communities (16 counties in Kentucky, including 7 in Appalachian KY). In that role, Brooke co-
managed more than 20 staff and the establishment of 16 community coalitions. Before entering
research, Brooke worked in other higher education roles for 18 years, and prior to that served as an
Assistant Commonwealth Attorney (felony prosecutor) for two Kentucky counties. In all her professional
endeavors, Brooke has performed extensive community engagement, working directly with corporate,
government, and non-profit entities and individuals working in those settings.
n support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by UK HealthCare CECentral Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and Kentucky Department for Public Health. University of Kentucky HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
CME
This enduring material is designated for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This training has been approved by the KBML as meeting the statutory requirements of HB1. ID# 0624-H8.0-UKCE3cc.
CPE
This knowledge-based activity will award 1 contact hour (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers.
ASWB ACE
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.
CNE
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1 nursing contact hour.
EMS
The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1 KBEMS contact hour.
CHES
Sponsored by Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.0 total Category I continuing education contact hour. Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 0. Continuing Competency credits available are up to 0. Provider ID# 105862 Event ID# 61070
CADC
This activity has been approved for 1 hour to meet the continuing education requirements for credential renewal.
CCHW
This training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1 continuing education unit for Certified Community Health Workers.Other
UK Healthcare CECentral certifies this activity for 1 hour of participation.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 ANCC (UK Healthcare CECentral)
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.00 nursing contact hour(s).
Available Credit
- 1.00 ACPE
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This knowledge-based activity will award 1.00 contact hour(s) (0.100 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit in states that recognize ACPE providers.
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This Enduring activity is designated for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 ANCC (UK Healthcare CECentral)
In support of improving patient care, UK HealthCare CECentral is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.00 nursing contact hour(s).
- 1.00 ASWB
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, UK HealthCare CECentral is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. UK HealthCare CECentral maintains responsibility for this course.
Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clinical continuing education credit(s).
- 1.00 Certified Community Health WorkThis training is approved by the Office of Community Health Workers Program to provide 1.00 continuing education unit(s) for Certified Community Health Workers.
- 1.00 Certified Health Education Specialist Credit (Western Kentucky University Department of Public Health)Sponsored by Department of Public Health, Western Kentucky University, a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 1.00 total Category I continuing education contact hour(s). Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 1.00. Continuing Competency credit is 1.00. Provider ID# 105862, Event ID# Provider ID# 105862 Event ID# 61070.
- 1.00 EMS (Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services)The Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) certifies that this educational activity is designated for 1.00 KBEMS contact hour(s). Approval Number: KBEMS-2025-UKHCCE-0008
- 1.00 ParticipationUK Healthcare CECentral certifies this activity for 1.00 hour(s) of participation.