Milwaukee County leaders and community groups discussed the impact of opioid settlement funding during a roundtable at Safe & Sound. (Photo/Karen Stokes)
By Karen Stokes
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell hosted a roundtable discussion at Safe & Sound with community-based organizations receiving opioid settlement funding through the county’s Better Ways to Cope (BWTC) initiative.
Representatives from Milwaukee County DHHS joined leaders from community organizations such as Dryhootch, the Benedict Center, Wisconsin Community Services (WCS), Milwaukee Turners, Safe & Sound, and the Hmong American Friendship Association for a discussion highlighting various projects and efforts, their results and ongoing work, and the challenges and opportunities ahead.
“Opioid use disorders affect many people in Milwaukee County. It doesn’t matter how you grew up; it doesn’t matter what your socio-economic status is. It’s hard to meet someone who hasn’t been affected by the opioid epidemic,” Crowley said.
Milwaukee County received $100 million for the opioid settlement. It’s the largest for a local municipality in the state of Wisconsin. The county will allocate $34 million across various projects through 2028, which includes expanding access to harm reduction supplies through vending machines and online ordering in high-overdose areas has expanded, and Advocates say naloxone (Narcan) remains vital in preventing overdose deaths.
“Recovering these dollars helped us to really help other individuals,” said Crowley. So far this year, 300 lives have been lost in drug-related causes throughout Milwaukee. It’s very clear we need additional funds to make sure we’re tackling this issue.”
“These dollars carry a moral responsibility. They are not a gift; they come from pain, loss, and accountability for harm that was done. This crisis is deeply personal for Milwaukee County. This roundtable is about lifting up what is working,” Nicholson-Bovell said.
Community-based organizations report that the funding is already making an impact.
“It’s really important to me because I believe that the more people we can serve in recovery and in addiction is important,” said Startina White, Wisconsin Community Services.
White shared that her own recovery from addiction, along with her parents’, has given her personal insight into the issue.
“Having funds to reach those people, having funds to support those people, it’s very, very important,” White said. “We can’t do it alone. We need funds to do that.”
The following projects were approved by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors for implementation during fiscal years 2026-2028:
- Aging and Disabilities Services Opioid Prevention Project: Deliver outreach to older adults and individuals with disabilities through door-to-door canvassing, harm reduction supply distribution, and engagement with senior living facilities.
- Community Regranting Program: Provide funding to community-based organizations to deliver prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services to underserved populations.
- Prevention Integration Initiative: Build capacity at DHHS to coordinate prevention education, implement universal screening tools, and support all opioid settlement-funded projects through a dedicated Prevention Integration Manager.
- Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution: Expand access to lifesaving materials through harm reduction vending machines and an online ordering system, reaching high-overdose areas across the county.
- Medical Examiner’s Office Staffing: Support critical positions, including a forensic pathologist, medicolegal death investigator, and forensic chemist, to improve turnaround time for investigations and data-driven decision-making.
- Housing and Services: Provide housing and services for vulnerable individuals receiving substance use disorder treatment in residential facilities.
- Harm Reduction Data Analytics: Enhance public data dashboards and explore health factors tied to opioid use by integrating EMS and hospital data to inform prevention and treatment strategies.
“We can’t continue to be reactionary. Yes, we are reacting to what is happening in our community, but we have to make sure these dollars are being invested upstream. The more money we can invest upstream in initiatives and programs, it helps to save more lives,” Crowley explained.