County Offering $2.8 Million For Opioid Addiction Programs

Milwaukee County plans to offer $2.85 million to community organizations to fight the opioid epidemic.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) plans to make grants to local organizations working on opioid addiction prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. The department is funding the grants in part through a settlement from a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors, which netted the county more than $100 million.

The grants are part of the department’s expansion of an existing program called “Better Ways to Cope” that drives funding into local non-profit and for-profit organizations working on substance abuse.

“DHHS is committed to fostering collaboration and innovation to address the overdose crisis and substance use disorder facing our community,” DHHS Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain said in a statement.

The department is setting aside four grants of $200,000 for each of the following program areas: prevention, harm reduction and treatment. It is also funding three grants worth $150,000 each for recovery programs.

“By regranting opioid settlement funds, we aim to increase access to life-saving resources and reduce the likelihood of overdose-related fatalities in our community,” LaGrant-McClain said.

The re-granting program, which is being managed by Hope House, was provided additional funding by the county board in 2023. At the time, a DHHS official said “re-granting” allows the county’s funding to go to organizations that “may not otherwise have contractual relationships with Milwaukee County, but have important relationships in the community that will yield effective prevention and treatment delivery strategies.”

Hope House is accepting funding applications until May 17.