Opioid Settlement Spending to Bolster Three Programs to Save Lives and Combat Nationwide Overdose Crisis 

Advisory Council Soliciting More Public Input Through October 31

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today announced the allocation of more than $25 million from New Jersey’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund to support additional efforts tackling the opioid crisis, including expanding legal services for those in recovery, enhancing youth substance use treatment and prevention, and boosting emergency response efforts.

The newly allocated funding builds upon more than $95 million in opioid settlement spending announced earlier this year.

“While our collective battle against the overdose epidemic is far from over, we have made tremendous progress in expanding evidence-based care and community-informed support to more New Jerseyans. With today’s announcement, we are reaffirming our commitment to support both individuals and communities that continue to face the tragic impacts of the overdose crisis,” said Governor Murphy. “By leveraging the State’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, we are expanding programs with a proven success record to more New Jersey communities over the next three years and bolstering our preparedness to respond to new opioid-related public health challenges. These crucial investments will save lives and help our neighbors struggling with addiction, wherever they are on their journey to recovery.”

Based on the recommendation of the State’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council, the newly allocated funding will provide:

• $20.25 million over three years to expand efforts to provide free civil legal services to individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. This funding will reduce the burden of outstanding legal issues on an individual’s pursuit of wellness, recovery, and community integration. The Department of Human Services would implement two models: a medical-legal partnership model that helps with treatment and a regional legal services model for broader assistance. 
• $5.04 million over three years to expand statewide the Department of Children and Families’ South Jersey Youth Substance Use Initiative, which helps youth ages 13 through 17 years access substance use treatment and care services. The expansion will make outpatient, intensive outpatient, and short-term residential treatment programs more accessible statewide, and offer early intervention services for youth who are engaging in substance use and may be at risk for dependence. Services, including family treatment, will be designed to provide support for youth as well as their parents and caregivers.
• $500,000 to boost the State’s ability to swiftly and effectively respond to emergencies. This replenishes $500,000 held for opioid emergency response to bolster the State’s ability to swiftly and effectively respond to emergencies in the opioid crisis as they emerge. Emergency funds were used over the past year to deploy wound care supplies, hygiene kits, and xylazine testing supplies to address the emerging threat in the drug supply of fentanyl adulterated or associated with xylazine. 

For more on these programs, please read the full report here. Requests for proposals and grant availabilities relating to the State’s portion of opioid settlement funds are available here on a rolling basis.

“We are taking a significant step forward in our battle against the opioid crisis by investing an additional $25 million into targeted initiatives that address the multifaceted needs of our communities,” said Department of Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, who chairs the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council. “By expanding legal services, enhancing youth treatment and prevention programs, and strengthening emergency response capabilities, we are not only responding to the immediate challenges, but also paving the way for long-term recovery and resilience. This funding reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting individuals and families as they navigate their paths to wellness and rebuild their lives.”

“New Jersey continues to make choices that prioritize ending overdose deaths and fostering recovery. The funds allocated to these efforts will help save lives,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “Individuals impacted by substance use disorder need support on the journey to recovery, and it’s fitting that we are able to provide that support using funds from the companies that started the opioid crisis.”

“New Jersey youth and their families who have been caught up in the opioid crisis often need a variety of evidence-based solutions ranging from in-community support to short-term residential treatment programs to achieve recovery,” said Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. “This funding ensures that families have options that meet their child’s needs, manage their treatment, and support their healing. The Department of Children and Families is grateful for the ongoing work of the Governor’s Office and the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council for their assistance in helping New Jersey’s youth and families to be safe, healthy, and connected.”

“New Jerseyans understand that we are fighting to keep individuals alive during this opioid epidemic. We see neighbors reversing overdoses with Narcan and family staying together with support services as a result of the first round of funding. We look forward to seeing the positive results of this round of funding,” said Solomon Middleton-Williams, Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council Member.

The Advisory Council, chaired by Commissioner Adelman, is tasked with making recommendations for the effective use of the State’s share of nationwide settlement agreements with several opioid manufacturers and distributors for their contributions to the ongoing opioid epidemic. The State of New Jersey, along with eligible counties and municipalities, will receive more than $1 billion in settlement funds over the next two decades.

The Advisory Council, which recently held a roundtable discussion with families who lost loved ones to substance use and heard about challenges that they face, also announced the reopening of a public portal to receive input on how best to allocate the next rounds of funding and to inform the Advisory Council’s longer-term strategic planning. The Advisory Council is particularly interested in feedback on how to improve services for Black and Brown residents and for older adults, who are currently experiencing higher rates of overdose in New Jersey. Please visit the portal here to submit your feedback and experiences. The deadline to submit proposals through the portal is October 31, 2024.

Finally, as required by the settlements, the 2024 State and subdivision annual reports on investments of opioid settlement funds are publicly available here.