Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission
The deadly misuse of opioids continues to have a devastating impact on the Nation and Washington, DC. The DC Chief Medical Examiner reports that there was an average of 38 fatal overdose deaths per month in 2022 and nearly 40 deaths per month through June 30 of this year. Since Mayor Bowser released Live.Long.DC., the comprehensive plan to fight opioid use, misuse and related deaths in December 2018, there is a movement taking place in DC to fight the opioid epidemic driven by urgency and shared purpose. Using a public health approach, the District of Columbia, led by the Department of Behavioral Health, is implementing evidence-based practices in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery to save and change lives.
Landmark multisettlement agreements are holding opioid manufacturers, and distributors who downplayed the risk of opioid addiction accountable for their role in creating the opioid epidemic. The District of Columbia will receive more than $80 million over the next 18 years from these settlements to help address the effects of the epidemic. The opioid settlement agreements contain certain requirements to ensure the funds are used to abate the harm caused by the opioid crisis and to ensure compliance with the agreements.
The Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission was established by the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022 District of Columbia Law 24-315 to make recommendations on the use of settlement funds to have the highest impact and to ensure compliance with the agreements.
Purposes and Duties per the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022
Purposes and Duties per the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022 |
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Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission |
Office of Opioid Abatement |
Purpose (1) Ensure that the monies the District receives and deposits into the Fund are appropriately expended on evidence-based and evidence-informed harm reduction, prevention, recovery, and treatment activities, practices, programs, services, supports. and strategies for opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders; (2) Prioritize and facilitate public involvement, accountability, and transparency in allocating and accounting for these monies; and (3) Ensure that the monies the District receives and deposits into the Fund [Opioid Abatement Fund] have the effect of preventing, treating, and reducing opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and reducing fatalities.
The Commission will:
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Support the work of the Commission and oversee the grant process for opioid abatement programs
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Membership of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission
The Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission (“Commission”) consists of 21 members and is made up of service providers and experts in mental health and substance use disorders as well people in recovery from these diseases and family members.
Member |
Name |
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Director, Department of Behavioral Health |
Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D. |
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Director, DC Health |
Ayanna Bennett, MD Acting Director |
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Director, Department of Health Care Finance |
Wayne Turnage Designee: Melisa Byrd Interim Director |
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Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services |
Wayne Turnage Designee: Ciana Creighton Interim Deputy Mayor |
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Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice |
Lindsey Appiah Designee: Jennifer L. Porter, MPH, MCHES |
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DC Chief Medical Examiner |
Francisco J. Diaz, MD, FACP |
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DC Attorney General |
Brian L. Schwalb
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Chair, DC Council Committee on Health |
The Honorable Christina Henderson |
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Medical Society of the District of Columbia |
Susanne Bathgate, MD President Designee: Dr. Edwin Chapman
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District of Columbia Hospital Association |
Jacqueline D. Bowens President and CEO |
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District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association |
Mark LeVota Executive Director
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District of Columbia Primary Care Association |
Tamara A. Smith President and CEO Designee: Patricia Quinn Vice President, Partnerships and Policy
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Mayor Appointee
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Juanita Price, M.Ed CEO Hillcrest Children and Family Center
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Mayor Appointee
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Nnemdi Elias, MD |
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Mayor Appointee
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Senora Simpson, PTMPH,DrPH |
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Mayor Appointee
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LaVerne Adams. DMin |
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Mayor Appointee
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Demetrius Jones |
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DC Council Chairman Appointee
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Larry Bing |
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DC Council Chairman Appointee
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Larry Gourdine |
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DC Council Chairman Appointee
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J. Chad Jackson |
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DC Council Chairman Appointee
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Beverlyn D. Settles-Reaves |
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Minutes of Commission meetings will be posted here. The Commission will follow the Open Meetings Act and will hold public meetings at least quarterly. In accordance with the Open Meetings Act
- The public is permitted to be physically present;
- The news media, as defined by § 16-4701, is permitted to be physically present;
- The meeting is televised/streamed; or
- The public body takes steps reasonably calculated to allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking place, or, if doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable.
Prospective Meeting Dates:
- January 15, 2025
- April 16, 2025
- July 16, 2025
- October 15, 2025
Upcoming Meetings of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission
On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 9 am, the Commission will hold a public meeting. The meeting will be held in person at District of Columbia Hospital Association, 1152 15th Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005.
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Virtual: https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m18fc1f7cfbfc0c4cc05c3bda36fa8168
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Meeting number (access code): 2304 164 4190
- Meeting password: J6aZRP2sEm3
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- More information on this event can be found here.
Please see all documentation for previous meetings here.
Subcommittee Meetings (Virtual Only)
Prevention Subcommittee Meeting - Friday, September 20, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mf9b8d833deb39938d1cfce0a2e52b76f
Harm Reduction Subcommittee Meeting - Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 3:00PM to 4:00PM https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mde28e8c97697b208210e436d69fc803d
Treatment & Recovery Subcommittee - Wednesday, September 18, 2024, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mb53bea97351835da52da8bc87f8464ec
For more information concerning the District’s overall approach to saving lives from the opioid epidemic, please visit the LIVE. LONG. DC. (LLDC) website.