LANSING, Mich. – Michigan has received $80 million in federal funding to respond to the ongoing opioid crisis. The funds will support prevention, treatment and harm reduction services.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Opioids Task Force made the announcement Monday.
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The funding includes $36.4 million from the new State Opioid Response II (SOR II) grant and $43.1 million from an extension of the current State Opioid Response I (SOR I) grant.
Opioid overdoses have killed 8,000 Michiganders over the last five years, according to officials. In 2018, five people died on average every day from opioid overdoses.
Calls to emergency medical services for opioid overdoses were 22 percent higher from April to July 2020 than during the same period in 2019.
“The opioid epidemic has devastated families across Michigan, and we must continue to do everything we can to end it. This funding will help prevent more opioid deaths and help those struggling with addiction recover,” said Governor Whitmer. “I will continue working closely with Dr. Joneigh Khaldun and members of the Michigan Opioids Task Force to keep Michiganders safe.”
The SOR II grant begins Sept. 30 and continues for two years. MDHHS also received approval to extend the SOR I grant for a third year from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.
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“Opioid overdose continues to be an ongoing crisis in Michigan and MDHHS is acting with utmost urgency to expand services that save lives, including medications to treat opioid use disorder and naloxone, the life-saving opioid reversal medication,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy director for health at MDHHS. “We urge local governments, health providers, law enforcement and organizations around the state to partner with us in this vital mission.”
Funding from the grants will deepen the state’s investment in naloxone distribution and expanding access to medications to treat opioid use disorder.
More information is available online here.