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Compliance Report on Direct Settlement Funds for Erie County

Pursuant with MHL 25.18 and our commitment to public transparency, this report outlines the fiscal details regarding the Direct Restricted Settlement Funds administered by Erie County during the fiscal year 2025.    

Erie County receives opioid settlement funds from multiple sources, each with different restrictions and allowable uses. 

  • Direct Opioid Settlement Funding are funds allocated directly to Erie County through national opioid settlement agreements. Direct funds may be restricted to approved opioid remediation activities or unrestricted, depending on the specific settlement agreement. 
  • Regional Opioid Settlement Funding are funds allocated through New York State, Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). These funds are administered through a regional structure and are intended to address opioid-related needs. 

This report identifies how Direct Restricted funds are allocated toward opioid abatement activities. This report only acknowledges Direct Restricted funds and is a snapshot of revenue, budgeted expenditure, and actual spending.

Fiscal Overview

In 2025, Erie County received $1,142,695 in restricted revenue from direct opioid settlement funding. Total actual expenditures during 2025 were $2,039,615. 

This report provides a fiscal snapshot of Direct Restricted Settlement Funds received and expended by Erie County during 2025. Expenditures during a given year may exceed revenue received because settlement funds received in prior years remain available to support eligible opioid abatement activities. 

Funded Initiatives

In 2025, Erie County partnered with 20 community partners to support initiatives addressing the impacts of the opioid epidemic. The majority of these partnerships represent multi-year commitments, allowing organizations to sustain services, build capacity, and support longer-term progress in prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.

The following list identifies each contracted partner and summarizes the services or activities supported through this funding. The descriptions reflect the intended connection between each initiative and opioid abatement. Because many initiatives span multiple years, this report represents a snapshot of ongoing investments.

Contracted Partner Initiative Summary
BACK TO BASICS Provide community-based mentoring programming to empower and support people with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder. This investment supports recovery engagement and continuity of support by helping participants navigate services and address barriers to sustained recovery.
BEST SELF BEHAVIORIAL HEALTH Provide an expanded workforce development and staff training opportunity so that current staff can receive tuition support to receive certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling (CASAC). 
CAZENOVIA RECOVERY SYSTEMS Provide peer-supported apartments with wraparound support services to people with substance use disorders.
CENTER FOR ELDER LAW Support older adults and their families affected by opioid use disorder and co-occurring conditions by connecting them to treatment, recovery services, social supports, and legal representation, including assistance with kinship care arrangements.
ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER – CENTER FOR OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE Provide peer-to peer modeled training for unionized workplaces to inform and reduce barriers to seeking help for substance abuse.
ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER – HEPATITIS C CLINIC Increased outreach and linkage for Hepatitis C (HCV) care in specialized, high-risk settings. This investment addresses infectious disease harms associated with substance use, including risks among people who inject drugs, and strengthens connections to appropriate health services.
ERIE COUNTY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH Support harm reduction services delivered directly to people who use drugs (PWUD) or through community-based organizations serving PWUD. These activities are intended to reduce preventable health harms associated with substance use, strengthen engagement with underserved populations, and create pathways to additional health and support services. 
EVERGREEN HEALTH Enhance drop-in center services for people who use drugs including services such as harm reduction access, basic hygiene, pro-social activities, and linkage to voluntary treatment and/or medical care.
EVERY PERSON INFLUENCES CHILDREN Engage parents in the evidence-based program; Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. Triple P is a family-based prevention intervention that strengthens parenting skills and family functioning, addressing risk factors associated with later substance use. This investment supports primary prevention by addressing family and developmental risk factors associated with later substance use.
HOPE of Buffalo, PEACEPRINTS OF WNY Provide expansion of substance use disorder and co-occurring diagnoses for justice involved persons within Erie County Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility.
HORIZON HEALTH Develop and implementation of a comprehensive Motivational Interviewing Training for members of The Value Network. Implementation includes real-time access to technical assistance. Training is for all members across the substance use continuum.
HORIZON HEALTH Expand medication assisted treatment (MAT) services at Niagara Falls Boulevard location. This investment increases access to evidence-based treatment. 
HORIZON VILLAGE Provide peer services and support for patients residing at Horizon Village's Terrace House. Peer support can strengthen recovery engagement, connection to community resources, and ongoing support for people with substance use history. 
IMPACT MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Design and execution of fentanyl awareness campaign across Erie County. The initiative supports opioid overdose prevention by communicating relevant information about fentanyl-related risks and prevention strategies. 
INTERNATIONAL ASSOC OF HUMAN VALUES Provide SYK Recovery programming to individuals within treatment facilities, using breathing practices, meditation, and wellness activities. The initiative is intended to complement treatment by supporting emotional regulation, stress management, and recovery engagement among. 
KIDS ESCAPING DRUGS Expand prevention reach with KED evidence-informed curriculum, Face2Face. Expansion includes early intervention and referral services. Supports youth substance use prevention, identification of emerging needs, and connection to appropriate services before substance-related harms escalate.
LEGAL AID BUREAU Provide a collaborative partnership to promote harm reduction messaging and practice in the criminal justice system and the community of criminal justice involved adults.
PRIMARY CARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE  Provide independent evaluation of county systems and decision-making, intervention implementation and outcomes, and community engagement. This investment supports accountability and continuous improvement by generating findings to inform future funding decisions and strengthen the effectiveness of the County's opioid abatement portfolio. 
RESEARCH FOUNDATION - PEER Establish and grow a comprehensive peer workforce network. This initiative strengthens the capacity of the local system to engage people with lived experience who want to be a trusted source to help connect others with harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports.
RESEARCH FOUNDATION – POSITIVE DIRECTION MODEL Evaluate and analyze the Positive Direction Model implementation and effectiveness. This supports evidence development and program improvement by examining implementation and results and the model's role in addressing substance use and opioid-related harms for pregnant and newly postpartum individuals who use drugs or medications for opioid use disorder.
WESTSIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES (WSCS) Expand WSCS teen program, through implementing Teen Intervene, to support youth prevention and early intervention by addressing substance use risk and connecting young people with appropriate support. 

Last updated: November 2, 2026

Contact

Opioid Settlement Office
Erie County Department of Health
95 Franklin Street 
Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: (716) 858-6382
Fax: (716) 858-7690
Email: opioidsettlement@erie.gov