#HopeActLiveWI: DHS awards $2.4 million for opioid treatment

St. Croix County is among seventeen counties and four tribes that have been awarded one-year grants totaling nearly $2.4 million from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to provide treatment to people addicted to opioids.

The grant recipients include St. Croix County, which was in the amount of $50,435.

“These grant awards continue our commitment to increase access to services that promote long-term recovery from opioid use disorder,” said DHS Opioid Initiatives Director Paul Krupski. “Together, with our county and tribal partners, we are saving lives by making these services available in communities that need them the most.”

The counties and tribes receiving funding have the most unmet opioid-related treatment needs in the state based on wait times for services and the number of deaths from opioid overdoses. The grant awards are based on the level of need.

Each county and tribe is expected to provide or contract for medication-assisted treatment, which uses Food and Drug Administration-approved medications, including buprenorphine products, methadone, and naltrexone, along with therapy and other supports to address issues related to addiction. Research shows this approach is the most effective way to treat opioid use disorder.

The announcement of these grant awards marks the beginning of the second year of Wisconsin’s State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis. This effort is funded by a two-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration totaling $15,273,876. Most of this federal funding is being used to expand and enhance treatment and recovery services. In the last year, nearly 900 people have received treatment and recovery supports as result of this investment.

Follow #HopeActLiveWI on Twitter. To view a complete list of recipients visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/releases/052418.htm