On April 1, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted its plan for the annual share of $7505 million of opioid settlement funds to the Legislature?s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). As a result of settlements reached by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Wisconsin will receive $36 million this year that will be used to prevent opioid misuse while continuing and strengthening successful efforts for harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. ?

?This is a thoughtful plan built from the advice we received through surveys, listening sessions, and roundtable discussions, as well as reviews of data and already existing programs, and by identifying the needs that still exist,? said Kirsten Johnson, DHS Secretary-designee. ?We want to thank our partners, providers, and people with experience with opioid misuse and their family and friends, for sharing their ideas that helped us shape a plan that moves us toward the goal of ending the state?s opioid epidemic.???

Attorney General Josh Kaul added, ?The efforts of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and others to get accountability in connection with the opioid epidemic have secured the recovery of approximately 3/4 of a billion dollars. It?s essential that these funds be used as effectively as possible to combat the epidemic and save lives.? ?