Milwaukee County is injecting a substantial sum of $8.5 million into efforts to fight the opioid epidemic that has gripped the community, officials announced on Monday. The funds, derived from a national opioid settlement total of $102 million awarded to the county, are earmarked for a range of initiatives aimed at treatment, prevention, and recovery of those battling with opioid addiction. TMJ4 reports that the projects include enhancing care for incarcerated individuals, improving the provider network, expanding paramedic capabilities, and launching an overdose prediction model among others.
During the signing of the legislation at Serenity Inns, a treatment center in Milwaukee's Midtown neighborhood, County Executive David Crowley emphasized the importance of these funds. "I believe that efforts that we are funding today will not only be impactful - that they're going to help folks stay on that road to recovery. Keep them on their journey," Crowley said, as reported by CBS58. Parallel to the funding, the county has seen a decline in overdose deaths when compared to the previous four years, although there have been 212 opioid-related deaths reported as of Sept. 1 this year.
Furthermore, the county is focused on supporting holistic recovery programs, as exemplified by the testimony of Walter Williams, a five-month resident at Serenity Inns. "Once I put that stuff in my body, it was just an ongoing situation. I didn't see a way out. Coming to treatment actually helped me to find a way out," Williams told CBS58. His is a narrative of rediscovery and hope that Echoes through the halls of recovery facilities county-wide.
Local leaders, key stakeholders, and officials such as Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson and Dr. Ben Weston, Chief Health Policy Advisor, attended the bill signing, conveying a united front against the crisis. The legislation, File #24-586, is designed to bridge critical care gaps and enhance public health outreach. Signifying this communal resolve, Shakita LaGrant-McClain, Executive Director of Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, was present alongside other county staff and partners, notes WisLawJournal.
