How one state has mapped out its opioid recovery plans

The opioid epidemic continues to hound communities and families, but provisional data shows that nationwide, the number of drug overdose deaths has declined slightly over the last year. 

New Jersey was one of a few states that saw a dip in overdose deaths. According to state data, there were 2,564 suspected fatal overdoses in 2023, a significant decrease from 3,054 confirmed overdose deaths in 2022. 

To make sure that trendline continues downward, New Jersey is taking a multipronged approach  to the opioid epidemic. The state is allocating nearly $96 million in opioid settlement funds to support addiction recovery and remediation initiatives over the next few years, Gov. Phil Murphy announced last week. 

Through 2038, New Jersey’s state and local governments will receive more than $1 billion from drug manufacturers and distributors in compensation for their roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic. Half of the money will go to the state and the other half will be split among local governments.

In this first distribution of the settlement money, New Jersey is prioritizing four areas: harm reduction, prevention and recovery support, treatment and housing, based on recommendations from the state’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council. 

Public listening sessions and data presented to the council reflected the urgent need to first expand harm reduction and housing, according to Jenna Mellor, an advisory council member and executive director of the New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition. 

"Now we can use these dollars to build a strong harm reduction foundation and make up for decades of disinvestment, so that future settlement dollars can go toward building on this progress and pursuing innovative approaches that have had success in other states and countries," she said in a statement.

Harm Reduction: Officials are investing $24 million to support recovery and treatment services at the state’s 32 harm reduction centers and to enable community organizations to distribute harm reduction supplies to high-need areas. 

The funding will help the centers increase staff capacity and supplemental medical and treatment services often associated with substance use disorders, or SUDS, such as tests for HIV, hepatitis and STIs. The advisory council called for a portion of funds to be allocated to increase awareness of drug safety. 

Housing: In recognition of the critical role housing plays in the recovery journey, officials recommended $17 million to support the expansion of emergency shelter beds, short-term rental subsidies, transitional housing beds and permanent housing assistance for individuals recovering from SUDs. 

Plus, it urged officials to improve the housing voucher process to reduce residents’ wait times as they transition to permanent housing. Rental subsidies and other financial assistance should be made available to individuals regardless of treatment or sobriety requirements, the report said.

Treatment: New Jersey is bolstering its addiction treatment infrastructure with more than $28.5 million, about $20 million of which will be used to enhance the state’s online platform for referring individuals to treatment providers and services. With the Medication for Addiction Treatment & Electronic Referrals platform, first responders, emergency personnel, treatment providers and correctional officials can find vetted providers of harm reduction medications 24/7, according to the report. It is currently being piloted in four counties, officials said. 

The rest of treatment funding will help expand the state’s mobile fleet that provides medication-assisted treatment to communities. Officials also recommended that treatment initiatives leverage alternative options to opioids for pain management and be made more accessible to residents, particularly those insured through Medicaid. 

Prevention and Recovery Support: New Jersey will spend another $17.5 million on more than 20 community peer recovery centers, upgrading infrastructure and increasing staffing to decrease wait times and improve treatment. 

The opioid abatement money will also fund drug safety education in schools and training for police officers and first responders on SUD de-escalation and response. 

“This initial round of funding is being translated into concrete help that is so diverse in its application that it will touch many populations with different needs,” said Debra L. Wentz, a member of advisory council and president and CEO of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies. “From housing to medication-assisted treatment to legal services and harm reduction, among other purposes, this funding is both fortifying and expanding existing programs and supporting new initiatives.” 

Other states have been crafting plans for allocating their share of the opioid settlement funds. Late last year New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, for instance, unveiled the state’s plan to spend $192 million in opioid settlement funds to support harm reduction efforts such as housing programs, medication-assisted treatment services and youth-targeted education and prevention initiatives. 

In December, the Colorado Department of Law announced its plan to award $4 million in opioid settlement money to support addiction prevention programming for Boys & Girls clubs, increase access to recovery housing services and improve health care systems for better care delivery.