Chapter 631 directs the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) and Department of Corrections (DOC) to develop a statewide plan for the distribution of naloxone throughout the Commonwealth. VDH is required to provide a report on the development of the plan, including the resources needed to fully implement the plan, to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by September 1, 2023. To develop the plan and report, VDH conducted additional outreach to solicit feedback from stakeholders, including holding focus groups with local health districts, community service boards, and authorized comprehensive harm reduction sites. VDH also discussed naloxone in depth in small-group or one-on-one sessions with the DOC, Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), DBHDS, and the Department of Social Services (DSS). Recommendations from the workgroup are listed below. If sufficient funding is made available, Virginia anticipates implementing key activities from the plan within SFY 24.

RECOMMENDATIONS

By engaging with stakeholders, VDH, DBHDS, and DOC developed the following shared recommendations; further detail is provided on page 20.

1. Virginia should leverage all available fund sources (local, state and federal) to assure sufficient naloxone saturation in the Commonwealth.

2. Engage with local jurisdictions.

3. Distribute no-cost naloxone to high-impact partners.

4. VDH should develop naloxone distribution portal.

5. Engage with community-level partners.

6. Escalate budget needs and submit budget requests as required, including for a minimum of $5,519,145 for FY 2025 and for $5,464,145 for FY 2026.

7. Assess Virginia’s naloxone distribution and saturation annually.