Opioid Settlement Funds St. Joseph & Buchanan County

The City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County, Missouri have entered into an agreement to work cooperatively in the disbursement of funds awarded to our community through the settlement of lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies as we work together and with community partners to recover from and prevent future adverse effects caused by opioids. The Memorandum of Understanding established between the City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County, was adopted December 11, 2023. 

View the Opioid Settlement Funds Application (PDF) and Opioid Settlement Funds - Schedule B Approved Uses (PDF), which must be submitted to kbundy@stjosephmo.gov and smalita@stjosephmo.gov, by 11:59 PM on March 15, 2026. Please refer to Opioid Settlement Funds - Schedule B Approved Uses (PDF) and Opioid Settlement Funds - Funding Objectives and Limitations (PDF) for guidance as proposals are drafted. Note that both documents listed above must be fully completed and submitted, by 11:59 PM on March 15, 2026.

Annual Appropriations

The City will annually appropriate $104,000.00 and the County will annually appropriate $52,000.00; provided, however, that the City and the County each receive sufficient opioid settlement funds to pay for such appropriations. Both the City and the County will make its appropriations from the revenue it directly receives from opioid settlement funds, and any adjustments to future appropriations will be made, as necessary.

To apply for Emergent Needs funding, complete the Opioid Settlement Funds Application (PDF) and Opioid Settlement Funds - Schedule B Approved Uses (PDF). Upon completion both documents must be submitted to kbundy@stjosephmo.gov and smalita@stjosephmo.gov.

Funds will be allocated as follows: 

• Eighty percent (80%) of available funds will be reserved for local, non-profit support services and other resources in the area of treatment, prevention, and/or education. Within that 80% of the funds; seventy-five percent (75%) that amount will be allocated for Treatment and Prevention and twenty-five percent (25%) will be allocated for Education and Prevention. 
• Ten percent (10%) will be reserved for emergency needs related to treatment and prevention, which would include small scope initiatives occurring within a six-month period of time and/or “mini grants” for one-time projects. Fifteen percent (15%) of this allotment may be used for unrestricted purposes. 
• Ten percent (10%) of funding will be reserved for administration costs, which consist of indirect costs associated with reviewing applications for funding; reviewing invoices for payment to funded agencies; reviewing quarterly reporting from funded agencies; and meeting monthly with established local coalition. 

Funding Objectives and Limitations (PDF) are outlined as provided. Projects, initiatives, and/or activities selected to receive an allocation from opioid settlement funds should meet some or all of the objectives and adhere to the limitations outlined.

The Opioid Settlement Funds Review Board will be tasked with selecting proposals for funding, with awards to commence on July 1, 2026. The Review Board shall be made up of eight (8) members, six (6) of which are individuals who hold the identified positions, or who represent the identified entities or subject matter areas: the St. Joseph Police Chief, or his/her designee; St. Joseph Health Department Director, or his/her designee; Buchanan County Sheriff, or his/her designee; Mosaic Life Care representative; St. Joseph School District representative; Opioid Task Force Coordinator or St. Joseph Health Department Health Educator; During the first meeting conducted by the Review Board, its members will select two (2) additional individuals to serve as representatives on the Review Board. One with subject matter expertise in the area of mental health care and the other with subject matter expertise in the area of substance use disorder treatment and recovery. 

An agency or organization that receives an allocation of opioid settlement funds must demonstrate that it is successfully meeting or exceeding its targeted outcomes. The agency or organization shall provide the Review Board with statical outcomes on a quarterly basis so that its members may evaluate this evidence and determine whether the funding has made a positive impact. If not, the feasibility of future allocations may be in jeopardy. 

The Review Board shall submit a report to the City Council and the County Commissioners every two (2) years, which outlines (i) the amount of each allocation made and to what entity; (ii) the intended use for the allocation; (iii) the corresponding outcomes; and (iv) an overall synopsis describing the current status of opioid abuse in St. Joseph and Buchanan County. The first such report shall be submitted to the City Clerk and the County Clerk by no later than March 1, 2025, and subsequent reports shall be submitted by no later than March 1st of 2027, 2029, 2031, 2033, 2035, 2037, and 2039. 

For additional information regarding the Opioid Settlement Fund application, or clarification on the application review process, please contact: