Michigan makes historic investment in opioid and substance use response with more than $131 million included in FY2026 budget

Will fund prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services which have contributed to a nearly 40% decrease in overdose deaths since 2021

LANSING - To help save lives and reduce overdose deaths, the recently passed FY2026 state budget includes more than $131 million from the Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund to support substance use disorder prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services. An overview of these investments and how they align with the strategy developed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) in partnership with the Michigan Opioids Task Force was provided during yesterday's task force meeting.

"We greatly appreciate Governor Whitmer and legislators who were critical to making these investments a reality," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "We will use these funds to continue investing in programs that further our efforts to save lives by decreasing substance use disorders, expanding treatment options and improving recovery success."

"Michigan is a leader in addressing opioid addiction, ranking in the top five states in the country for greatest reduction in overdose deaths," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive and chair of the Opioids Task Force. "Those are not just statistics, they are our neighbors, our family members and our friends whose lives have been saved by the programs and resources our state is providing through these investments."

"The support of Governor Whitmer and our legislative partners is vital to addressing substance use disorder in Michigan," said Tommy Stallworth III, MDHHS senior advisor. "Their support will allow community organizations, treatment providers and MDHHS to continue building on the successes and improvements Michigan has made in addressing the opioid epidemic."

This budget will not only continue to save lives through expanding harm reduction and treatment access but will also support efforts to prevent substance use in the first place and provide essential resources for people in recovery. These investments include:

• $13.75 million in primary prevention and public education efforts to delay the first use of drug use and increase community awareness and knowledge.

• $25.5 million to support harm reduction agencies, diversion, law enforcement training and naloxone distribution. All of which have been shown to save lives and reduce the strain overdoses can have on hospital and health care systems.

• $28 million to increase access to quality treatment throughout Michigan.

• $37.5 million to expand the availability of recovery housing and recovery support services offered by community organizations.

• $27 million in other targeted investments to support best practices, including services offered by peer recovery workers and mobile services, and to ensure good government, fiscal responsibility and data-driven decision making.

More details on these investments, including timelines and how providers can access these funds, will be provided as information becomes available.

Michigan is slated to receive more than $1.8 billion from national opioid settlements by 2040, with half being distributed to the State of Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund and the other half being distributed directly to county, city and township governments across the state. For more information about SUD resources, visit Michigan.gov/SUD.

Additional information regarding proposed programming under Michigan's Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund is provided on the opioids settlement website.