MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is rolling out a plan to use $31 million in opioid settlement funds to combat opioid misuse across the state.
“These are settlement dollars and we are putting them to work across the full continuum of care. Everything from prevention, overdose and infectious disease prevention, treatment, and recovery. The plan was shaped by public surveys, stakeholder listening sessions, roundtable discussions, and more,” said Director of Substance Use Initiatives Michelle Haese.
“All 11 tribal nations each are experiencing different impacts related to opioids and opioid use, and this funding is intentionally flexible. Tribes identify their own priority strategies across the continuum of care, which is truly the appropriate model,” Haese said.
$9 million will go towards Wisconsin’s Tribal nations. Wisconsin saw a 42.5% decline in opioid deaths from 2023 to 2024.