Hundreds of millions of dollars from opioid settlements have flowed into Pennsylvania to help the state respond to an epidemic that kills thousands of people each year — and even more money is expected in the years to come.
But members of the public, including people who have lost loved ones to overdose deaths, have been routinely shut out of having a meaningful say in how the money should be spent. The crisis has deeply affected families, increased risks for children, and added pressure to agencies responsible for investigating cases of abuse and neglect.
In our reporting, we’ve heard from parents, advocates, and other community members who want greater transparency and a larger role in these settlement decisions. Spotlight PA recently held an event to continue those conversations.
Attendees joined us for a live discussion on how the opioid epidemic has affected families, and how they want to see the settlement money used. We heard directly from those impacted by the issue and shared tools that have increased transparency and accountability. We encouraged our audience to share their stories to their comfort level and try to gain new perspectives from listening to others.
You can watch a portion of the event, including community stories and a panel discussion, below. Some parts have been edited to protect sensitive information shared during the forum.
Panelists included:
Ed Mahon, investigative reporter, Spotlight PA
Cathleen Palm, founder, Center for Children’s Justice
Kathleen Strain, manager of advocacy and peer services, Partnership to End Addiction
Thank you to our partners:
USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism
Resource guide:
Interactive Tools:
GET THE RECORDS: How we’re tracking more than $100M in opioid settlement money in Pa.
Spotlight PA database tracks $70M in opioid settlement money
Help us report on the opioid crisis in Pennsylvania
You can decide how billions to fight the opioid epidemic should be spend with our new tool
Referenced Stories:
How will PA spend billions in opioid settlement money?
Secret meetings spark criticism of PA opioid trust
Public voices often ignored in states’ opioid settlement money decisions
How did Pennsylvania counties spend opioid settlement money?
Opioid settlement: Allegheny County missed out on $822K
Any questions or concerns can be directed to events@spotlightpa.org.