The Center for Health and Human Services
Rutherford County Opioid Settlement
In 2022, Rutherford County experienced 130 fatal overdoses, a 37% increase from 2019. To respond to this need, Rutherford County established the Rutherford Opioid Board in 2022 to oversee strategic dissemination of opioid abatement funds to repair and strengthen the community. These funds are provided to counties in Tennessee as part of a $26 billion national opioid lawsuit involving pharmaceutical distributors and a manufacturer, with Tennessee receiving $700 million in anticipated payouts over 18 years from 2021-2038.
Rutherford County received nearly $4.5 million in opioid abatement dollars from 2023-2025. The county is anticipating receiving an additional $2.3 million in abatement payouts between 2026 and 2028. These payout amounts will reduce over time as the settlement payments are completed. This will mean that the county will have less funding available through the Rutherford Opioid Board to address continued needs across the community. This reduction in future funding indicates a need to invest in sustainable community-level change as indicated by local data and community trends.
The Rutherford Opioid Board established the MTSU Office of Prevention Science and Recovery to assist the county in evidence-based utilization of settlement dollars and to serve as a resource to other Tennessee counties. Below is the year-end report for grant-funded activities funded for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
2025-2026 Rutherford Opioid Settlement Grantees
Below you can view all grantees from the 2025-2026 Rutherford County fiscal year classified by their identified opioid abatement strategy.
The Rutherford County Opioid Board disbursed $2,034,821 in funding to local organizations to provide programming and services that meet the Prevention, Treatment, Recovery and Harm Reduction activity requirements of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council’s approved use of funds.
Application Information for 2026-2027
Information regarding the 2026 application cycle is anticipated to be announced in January 2026. There will be only one funding opportunity in the spring with grant contracts beginning July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Check back in January for the updated application documents and timeline.
Rutherford Opioid Board News
In this section you will find reports on the work accomplished by the Rutherford Opioid Board and strategic planning for potential future projects funded by the ROB.
