CONTACT: Jennifer Miller/Elizabeth Goodsitt
608-266-1683
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded four $250,000 grants to one county, one tribe, and two nonprofit organizations to support the expansion of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.
“These grants continue our efforts to connect people in need of help with effective treatment options,” says DHS Director of Opioid Initiatives Paul Krupski. “Together, with our community partners, we are helping people reclaim their lives.”
The grant recipients include Milwaukee County, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program, and Tellurian.
All four agencies will 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 support to address issues related to addiction. Research shows medication-assisted treatment is the most effective way to treat opioid use disorder.
Governor Scott Walker issued Executive Order #229 (link is external) in January, 2017, directing DHS to apply to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the grant funds. That followed his issuing of Executive Order #214 (link is external), creating the Task Force on Opioid Abuse. The one-year grants are part of Wisconsin’s share of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant, and managed by the DHS Division of Care Treatment Services.
This announcement is part of the second and final day of the DHS Opioid Forum in Milwaukee, an event in which service providers and community leaders are learning strategies to end Wisconsin’s opioid crisis. View archived recordings of sessions from this event on the DHS webcasts page.
