MILWAUKEE – Today, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation approving the allocation of $7,457,592 in Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF) for eight initiatives aimed at reducing opioid and substance use disorder (SUD), expanding treatment and prevention services, and saving lives.

“The opioid crisis has devastated families, strained our systems, and disproportionately harmed communities of color across our county,” said County Executive Crowley. “We’ve made measurable progress in this fight, and the projects approved in this next cohort build on that momentum, directing resources to the programs best positioned to reach people where they are. There is still work to be done, and my administration is committed to spending these funds responsibly and effectively, because no family should experience the pain of losing someone to overdose”

This is the fourth cohort of opioid prevention projects that represent a major milestone in Milwaukee County’s multi-year strategy to address the opioid crisis and advance Milwaukee County’s strategic plan to achieve health equity. The proposed projects are part of the County’s efforts to address systemic gaps, support evidence-based practices, and reduce health disparities. The funds come from the $111 million in opioid settlement dollars Milwaukee County is receiving over 18 years from distributors, manufacturers, pharmacies, and others found responsible for contributing to the opioid epidemic. This is the largest amount of OSF recovered by any local government in the history of Wisconsin.

Many programs in this cohort will receive continued funding for projects that have already shown proven results in their first three years. The following projects have been approved by County Executive Crowley’s administration for implementation during fiscal years 2027-2029:

  • Aging and Disabilities Services Opioid Prevention Project: Focuses on outreach to older adults in Milwaukee County at risk for opioid misuse and overdosing by using data and GIS mapping to conduct door-to-door canvassing, distribute harm reduction supplies, and engage with senior living facilities. A bilingual outreach worker will also be added to the team.
  • Opioid Responsive Park System: Creates an Opioid-Responsive Park System to reduce overdose risk and improve safety across its park spaces by equipping Park Rangers with naloxone and overdose-response training, installing and maintaining sharps-disposal infrastructure, and supporting contracted syringe-collection and cleanup services in high-need locations. Together, these efforts extend harm reduction strategies into publicly accessible spaces where individuals and the broader community are directly impacted.
  • Community Contingency Management Treatment Pilot Program: Addresses a gap in SUD treatment through the implementation of Contingency Management, an evidence-based treatment approach shown to be effective for stimulant, opioid, and other substance use disorders. This structured program includes drug testing, individual therapy, group sessions, and incentives for negative drug tests. Expanding Milwaukee County’s treatment capacity will help prevent rising stimulant overdoses and promote a healthier, stronger community.
  • Grief Outreach and Grief-Informed Care: Provides grief outreach to families of victims of overdose, collects vital data to enrich understanding of fatal overdose risk factors and reduce future overdose, expands collaboration between partners to identify and refer families impacted by overdose to resources, expands training to frontline service providers and social workers, and pilots trauma and grief informed support opportunities for families impacted by overdose loss.
  • Substance Use Disorder System: Provides flexible funds to support Milwaukee County DHHS Behavioral Health Services (BHS) community providers that deliver evidence-based care across the continuum, including outpatient, residential, and recovery support services.
  • Strengthening Opioid and Substance Use Education and Treatment for Justice-Involved Youth: Expands education, treatment, and community-based linkages for detained young people with substance use disorders. DHHS will hire a clinical director and one additional clinician – who would provide prevention and intervention services for young people detained in the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Detention Center and those returning to the community following detention.
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Behind the Walls: Uses FDA-approved medications, coupled with behavioral counseling, for individuals who are incarcerated in a Milwaukee County correctional facility and are living with an opioid use disorder.
  • Medical Examiner’s Office Staffing: Supports critical positions including a forensic pathologist, medicolegal death investigator, and forensic chemist to improve turnaround time for investigations and data-driven decision-making.

Learn more about the projects HERE. Learn more about Milwaukee County’s efforts to combat the opioid epidemic HERE.