In 2023, more than 83% of Pennsylvania's 4,719 overdose deaths were opioid-related, as reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. To address these and other effects of the opioid epidemic, Pennsylvania will invest more than $1.7 billion, received from the opioid settlement agreement, over two decades, in all 67 Pennsylvania counties to help mitigate the effects of the opioid epidemic. The funds will be used for opioid use prevention and treatment with the goal of reducing deaths and other opioid-related harms.
The newly developed Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network, funded by $750,000 from the fiscal year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act and led by the Social Science Research Institute's Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) at Penn State, will convene stakeholders from across Pennsylvania to help counties make decisions on the best use of their opioid settlement funds in their communities.
Counties will provide data on key indicators like overdose deaths, youth substance use, emergency department visits and drug-related crime across counties to the network, who will analyzing, coordinate and translate that data to support local decision makers in determining the best use of funds for opioid prevention and intervention. Those local stakeholders include the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Association of Drug and Alcohol Administrators, and the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trust.
"Penn State is grateful to Senator John Fetterman and Senator Dave McCormick for their support of this investment and their trust in Penn State's ability to assist communities across the commonwealth," said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. "The Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network will bring together stakeholders to ensure that the opioid settlement funding can be guided by data, evidence, and community expertise. As Pennsylvania's sole land-grant institution, we are uniquely qualified to meet this moment."
The effort will be led by Penn State faculty, who will also provide training to graduate and undergraduate students to become the future experts in substance use policy and evaluation.
"Penn State is leveraging our well-established expertise and relationships collaborating with stakeholders throughout Pennsylvania to bring data, evidence, and analysis to decision-makers. Additionally, we are working with partners to gather stakeholders to identify opportunities for shared understanding and coordinated solutions," said Joel Segel, associate professor of health policy and administration and director of the Penn State CSUA.
Housed within the CSUA, the network is strategically situated to expand its reach and impact by leveraging the consortium's established partnerships. Experts at the University of Pittsburgh and Temple University, as well as Glenn Sterner - formerly at Penn State Abington and now associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Kentucky - will further strengthen capacity to drive meaningful change within the commonwealth and beyond.
"This important investment in Pennsylvania will ensure coordination and knowledge sharing to provide needed assistance as communities consider their priorities for utilizing opioid settlement funds across the commonwealth. The data-informed decision making expands opportunities for applications and informed policy beyond Pennsylvania," Sterner said.
With 70% of the nearly $2 billion directed and controlled by county leaders, Penn State's contributions will provide counties with the data insights, coordination, and shared learning needed to invest the opioid settlement funds wisely.
"The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania's partnership with Penn State demonstrates a shared commitment to abating the opioid crisis in counties across the commonwealth," said Michele Denk, executive director for the Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators. "The expansion of the Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network will increase technical assistance opportunities available to counties as they determine the most effective ways to spend opioid settlement funds."
To create long-term partnerships within the network, Penn State will convene state-wide and county leaders, faculty, staff and students for in-person and virtual workshops to provide real-time sharing of strategies, innovations and evidence-based practices. The network will also offer technical assistance and training opportunities focused on the interventions funded through opioid settlement dollars. The aim is for sustained collaboration that facilitates effective practices for prevention and treatment, and efficient spending of opioid settlement funding.
The work will rely on data coordination, analysis, and translation from all Pennsylvania counties. A report, which would be made publicly accessible online, will provide interpretations of datasets and coordinated information to assist local policy makers in guiding their communities.
