State adding an additional $25 million to opioid response investments

The state will allocate an additional $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, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Thursday.

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,” Murphy said. “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.

“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 abuse 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.