NEWS

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:

• Cindy Smith – Strong-Huttig School Board President
• Sheriff Tim Helder – Sheriff, Washington County
• Dr. Virginia Stanick – Retired Project Director, The State Opioid Response Project
• Colin Jorgensen – Litigation Attorney, Association of Arkansas Counties
• John Wilkerson – General Counsel, Arkansas Municipal League
• Mayor James Sanders – Mayor, Blytheville
• Gloria Gordon – Grant Writer, Researcher
• Chief Danny Bradley – Retired Police Chief, North Little Rock Police Department
• Jerry Jones – Chief Legal and Ethics Officer and Executive Vice President, LiveRamp
• Dr. Johnathan Goree – Chair of the Opioid Stewardship Committee, The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
• Tom Barron – Attorney, Bear State Law
• Judge Danny Ormand – County Judge, Lafayette County

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.