Opioid Settlement Will Fund 7 New, Expanded Abatement Efforts

A massive lawsuit continues paying dividends for Milwaukee County’s effort to address the opioid epidemic.

Government officials are planning to move more than $8 million in settlement funds — paid out by companies that have played a role in the opioid epidemic –into government programs and services in the coming months.

The lawsuits took on pharmaceutical companies, drug distributors and corporations that operate pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens. In total, the county will receive approximately $102 million in settlement payments over a period of 18 years. Five companies will make payments in 2024, totaling approximately $15.8 million.

Last year, the Milwaukee County Board approved a slate of 15 projects, including medically assisted treatment and homeless outreach, using $11.8 million in settlement funds. This year, seven projects totaling $8.5 million are headed to the board for consideration in July.

The projects were initially selected by a review panel composed of both county and non-county professionals, as well as two persons who have experience with opioid addiction, according to a report from the Office of Strategy, Budget and Performance. The panel considered more than a dozen project proposals from eight county departments.

Below are descriptions of the seven projects and programs county officials would like to fund or supplement with funding from the historic settlement.

Expand Mobile Care Program

One of the biggest projects on the list is an expansion of the county’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program, which uses the 24/7 responsiveness of EMS agencies — like municipal fire departments — to provide community-based access to opioid addiction services like medically assisted treatment.

The county’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is proposing using approximately $2.3 million to build out a team that can help to integrate the MIH program throughout the entire county and into its 14 municipal fire departments.

Increased Funding for Substance Use Disorder Treatment

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) plans to add $2.5 million in additional funding to the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment system. This system provides inpatient and outpatient detox and recovery treatments through a network of approximately 43 providers.

DHHS hopes to bolster the existing system with additional funding, and potentially attract additional community care providers.

Drug Adulterant Campaign

DHHS is seeking approximately $1.4 million to collect data and produce a public information campaign about drug adulterants and their roles in overdoses for Black and Hispanic people in Milwaukee County. Examples of drug adulterants include fentanyl, a synthetic opioid and Xylazine, a veterinary sedative, which are often added to traditional street-level opioids like heroin.

Emergency Housing Care Facility

The county’s Housing Division is building out a new emergency housing facility on the south side at 1615 S. 22nd St. The county would supplement funding for the project with $426,000 to create dedicated bed space for people experiencing both homelessness and active opioid addiction. These units would provide shelter while the person works toward recovery.

Overdose Trauma and Grief

A partnership of the county’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS), the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and the Medical Examiners Office would create a new program providing grief outreach to families of overdose victims and also collecting data to help researchers understand risk factors for fatal overdoses.

PATH Project

OEM plans to work with the county’s criminal justice system — including the courts and corrections facilities — to provide opioid use disorder services to individuals as they both enter and exit incarceration. The project would use $1.06 million to build out and begin operating the program.

Overdose Prediction

DHHS would like to use approximately $29,000 on a “predictive model pilot project” to identify people at risk of overdose as they come in contact with the county’s human services agency. If successful, the project would be expanded.