Milwaukee County is stepping up its efforts to address the opioid crisis, and County Executive David Crowley is leading the charge with a recent roundtable discussion on the allocation and use of opioid settlement dollars. According to a report by the Milwaukee County's official website, Crowley, alongside County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell, highlighted the importance of these funds during a meeting with community-based organizations at Safe & Sound. With federal funding for behavioral health services on shaky ground, these dollars aim to deliver prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services to those most in need.
During the roundtable, Crowley stated, "My administration is deploying opioid settlement dollars to save lives, strengthen families, and build safer, healthier communities." The efforts underscore a vital need in Milwaukee County, particularly as it faces over 300 drug-related deaths so far in 2025. The Milwaukee County's report details the third cohort of opioid prevention projects, a part of a multi-year strategy to combat the issue.
According to Nicholson-Bovell, "These opioid settlement dollars represent an important opportunity to right long-standing inequities and to meet people where they are with care, dignity and compassion," as stated by the Milwaukee County. She pointed out that investing in community-based organizations and culturally responsive solutions is key to saving lives. The variety of projects funded through the opioid settlement is quite broad, ranging from prevention education to the provision of housing and services for individuals receiving substance use disorder treatment
A notable development in the ongoing efforts is the "Better Ways to Cope" initiative, described by Jeremy Triblett, Prevention Integration Coordinator at DHHS Behavioral Health Services, as a model for county to community regranting efforts. "Together we’ve increased education, decreased harm, normalized healing and reduced stigma," Triblett told the Milwaukee County's official website. The county will allocate $34 million across various projects through 2028 which includes expanding access to harm reduction supplies like vending machines and an online ordering system for high-overdose areas. Previously confirmed in 2023, Milwaukee County will receive $111 million over 18 years from opioid settlements, representing the largest amount recovered by a local government in Wisconsin.
