Grant extension of $500K good news for MKE’s efforts to combat opioid epidemic

I am extremely grateful for the one-year $500,000 grant extension, totaling $1.35 million for Milwaukee’s anti-overdose initiative from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). When I initially founded the program, the initiative was granted $735,000, and the additional award of $500,000 will greatly benefit the fight against the opioid epidemic in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. The announcement of the extension of the grant through 2021 will also ensure the ability to help the Milwaukee Fire Department’s (MFD) Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative (MORI) – which I sponsored – in gaining valuable resources to continue its almost daily work to combat the opioid epidemic.

In addition to the services that MORI has been able to provide since its founding in 2019, the extension of the grant will allow for identifying additional ways to address the problem at hand. I am pleased to hear about the new plans in how the program will be able to address both fatal and nonfatal overdoses, focus on trauma and trauma related death, provide continuum of care and resources for families, and to devote efforts to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). By continuing to collaborate with community partners, I know MORI will be able to make an even greater impact on the opioid epidemic in Milwaukee County.

Again, I am extremely pleased with the grant extension and the increase in funding. I know well how this positive development is needed to further combat the devastation that the opioid epidemic has caused to Milwaukee communities, and I am proud to have had a role in securing this grant funding to ensure we will remain in a strong position to help save lives.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.