NOSC 2026: What We Learned, and What Comes Next
A look back at three days in Denver - and a foundation for stronger work in Tulsa in 2027.
June 17-19, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center | Denver, Colorado
467
ATTENDEES
Inaugural conference
4.49
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
Out of 5.0
90%
PLAN TO ACT
“Very likely” to implement changes within 90 days
119
SURVEY RESPONDENTS
Post-conference evaluation
OVERVIEW
More Than a Moment. A Movement.
NOSC 2026 was never meant to be a one-time event. From its first session to its last, the inaugural National Opioid Settlement Conference was designed to do something harder and more lasting than fill a program: to bring together the decisionmakers, researchers, evaluators, advocates, and community leaders who are shaping how $57 billion in settlement funds will be used, and to begin building the shared foundation of best practices that will guide that work for years to come.
Nearly 470 people made that commitment in Denver. The conversations they started, the frameworks they tested, and the relationships they built are already extending well beyond the conference itself. Through five Communities of Practice, NOSC is sustaining the work between convenings, creating accountability structures, and growing a community that will only deepen with each passing year.
"We did not just attend a conference. We joined a community committed to getting this right."
-NOSC 2026 attendee
Ninety percent of survey respondents said they were very likely to implement changes within 90 days, one of the strongest indicators of real-world impact for professional convenings. That is the measure of a movement in its early stages: people who leave not just inspired, but changed in how they work. Denver was where it started. Tulsa is where it grows.
ATTENDEE RATINGS
How Attendees Rated the Conference
Respondents rated each element of the conference on a 1-5 scale. Registration and check-in earned the highest marks, and the conference location received near-universal praise.
REGISTRATION & CHECK-IN
4.80
CONFERENCE LOCATION
4.76
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION
4.52
OVERALL EXPERIENCE
4.49
CONFERENCE APP
4.49
BREAKOUT SESSIONS & PANELS
4.39
KEYNOTE SESSIONS
4.37
EVENTS & RECEPTIONS
4.33
PLATFORM ENGAGEMENT
Exceptional Digital Engagement Through Whova
Engagement metrics from the three-day conference far exceeded industry norms, reflecting a high level of attendee investment in both the platform and in each other.
951
COMMUNITY BOARD POSTS
Industry average: 381 - 2.5x above average
1,003
PRIVATE MESSAGES SENT
Attendee-to-attendee networking
88%
APP DOWNLOAD RATE
Among all registered attendees
PROGRAM
Three Days of Sessions, Conversations, and Connection
The 2026 program brought together three days of keynotes, breakout sessions, networking, and community programming across five tracks.
1 - GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
2 - IMPLEMENTATION, IMPACT & EVALUATION
3 - SUSTAINABILITY & STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
4 - SYSTEMS, COLLAB & INTEGRATION
5 - MODELS & INNOVATION
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18 - SAMPLE SESSIONS
8:15 AM - 9:45 AM | Capitol Ballroom
Breakfast Keynote: Follow the Money (If You Can) - Transparency & Accountability in Opioid Settlements
Panel moderated by Aneri Pattani, KFF Health News, with Allen Siegler (Mississippi Today) and Christine Minhee, founder of Opioid Settlement Tracker. Examining how states and localities are disclosing - or not disclosing - how settlement funds are being spent.
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Concurrent breakout sessions
Building Transparency and Accountability through Competitive RFPs
2 - IMPLEMENTATION, IMPACT & EVALUATION
Funding What Matters: Driving Opioid Settlement Investments Through Needs Assessments at the State and Local Level
4 - SYSTEMS, COLLAB & INTEGRATION
Leveraging Opioid Settlement Funds for Black Community Health
3 - SUSTAINABILITY & STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
Roundtable of Officials on Best Practices of Getting Funding to Grassroots Organizations
1 - GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
Engaging and Educating Decision Makers Overseeing Distribution of Settlement Funds
1 - GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | Capitol Ballroom
Juneteenth Networking Luncheon
A collaborative community mural activity inviting attendees to share reflections on healing, accountability, and the opportunities settlement funds create to address long-standing health disparities.
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM | Concurrent breakout sessions
Braiding Funds to Strengthen Substance Use Systems: Frameworks and Practical Tools for States
5 - MODELS & INNOVATION
Recovery Friendly Workplaces Across the U.S.: Lessons from New Hampshire, Colorado, and Ohio
3 - SUSTAINABILITY & STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Opioid Settlement Funds: Examples from Ohio and North Carolina
2 - IMPLEMENTATION, IMPACT & EVALUATION
A National Roadmap for Spending Opioid Settlement Funds in 2026: Supporting Communities and Ending the Overdose Crisis
4 - SYSTEMS, COLLAB & INTEGRATION
From Funds to Frontlines: Building a Hospital-Based Peer Response Model
5 - MODELS & INNOVATION
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Where the Money Actually Lives: A 2026 Field Guide to Tracking Opioid Settlement Spending
1 - GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
A grassroots community panel on the final day of the conference drew the strongest independent praise of any single session. Multiple respondents named it the most impactful experience of the three days.
WHAT WE HEARD
Content Themes Attendees Want More of in 2027
The post-conference survey surfaced clear, consistent signals about where participants see gaps in the field - and where NOSC 2027 has an opportunity to lead. The following themes were raised independently by multiple respondents.
YOUTH & CHILDREN
Young people impacted by the opioid crisis are underrepresented in current programming. Multiple independent requests to address this gap in 2027.
POLITICAL & ADVOCACY NAVIGATION
How to work effectively in challenging political environments; supplantation, funding cuts, and sustainability planning.
LOCAL & COUNTY VOICES
State-level perspectives currently dominate. Attendees called for more county and city voices in sessions and leadership.
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION WORKSHOPS
Logic models, theory of change, measuring outcomes, and concrete examples of how states and counties are spending funds.
TECH & AI IN OPIOID RESPONSE
Practical implications of technology for fund stewards and program administrators - a gap in both 2026 programming and the broader field.
HARM REDUCTION
Consistently flagged as underrepresented in 2026 programming. This theme will be more prominent in 2027.
WHAT’S NEXT: COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
From Affinity Groups to Communities of Practice
One of the most consistent action items from the 2026 survey was the call for an ongoing evaluator community of practice. That signal - alongside strong interest across every affinity group tracked during the conference - is driving NOSC's transition to structured, facilitated Communities of Practice (CoPs).
Beginning in fall 2026, NOSC will convene five CoPs through quarterly virtual meetings, each feeding directly into the 2027 conference program.
-
72 members interested - flagship CoP
Allowable uses, supplantation, invoicing and procurement, shared administrative tools
-
53 members interested
Evaluator peer exchange, landscape assessment, linkage with OSF, JHU, and NCSL research
-
46 members interested
Resource center development, real-time transparency dashboards, accountability frameworks
-
47 members interested
Unified CoP keeping harm reduction visible as a named content area and community priority
-
58 members combined
Peer co-design, rural access and transportation, treatment models for small jurisdictions
Join Us in Tulsa for NOSC 2027
The second National Opioid Settlement Conference will be held June 15-17, 2027, at the Hyatt Regency Tulsa Downtown. Registration and sponsorship information will be available soon.