New state grants will address the ravages of opioid abuse by expanding treatment capacity and bolstering resources that strengthen communities and prevent opioid addiction.

With the growing presence of fentanyl contributing to an unprecedented number of drug overdose deaths, many Minnesotans need help – and urgently. The $20.1 million in new grants from the Minnesota Department of Human Services will expand services available to support people suffering from opioid use disorder and make it easier to get help.

The state's Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council recommended awards to the 28 grantees, with funding from Minnesota’s opioid epidemic response law.

“Everyone who needs treatment for opioid use disorder deserves access to high-quality, culturally relevant care,” said Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead. “This funding will help more Minnesotans get the care they need, while providing key resources to reduce harm and prevent addiction throughout the state.”

Just over $7 million will go to initiatives that expand and enhance the continuum of care for opioid-related substance use disorders. Another $4 million will support workforce development initiatives and treatment training.

Grants will also fund emerging and innovative strategies for combating the opioid crisis. For instance, one program plans to connect clinicians and neuroscientists with the recovery community to help design clinically relevant, groundbreaking research on opioid use disorder.

Funding will support programs that focus on primary prevention and education; secondary prevention and harm reduction; and chronic pain and alternative treatments.

Many of the investments will address gaps in Minnesota’s continuum of care for Native American people and people of color with opioid use disorder, while providing significant prevention and education services to diverse communities. Resources will go to organizations serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Greater Minnesota and Tribal Nations, as well as organizations that provide services statewide.

To see a full list of grantees and activities, view this overview of the 2024 grants (PDF).

“There are many organizations working within the state of Minnesota to provide these services to the Minnesotans who need them,” said Dr. Kathy Nevins, chair of the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council. “We are proud to be able to fund these organizations and hope to do much more of it. There is no reason that a Minnesotan should die from a treatable illness, we need to connect them to the care they need.”

The current awards are the third set of grants recommended by the council. Earlier rounds in 2022 and 2023 each totaled approximately $5 million.

In the coming months, the council will announce more funding recommendations and begin soliciting proposals for new funding.

For more information, visit the links below:

• Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council grantees for Fiscal Year 2024: mn.gov/dhs/opioid-grants-fy2024. 
• If you or someone you know is suffering from opioid use disorder, help is available. Visit knowthedangers.com/treatment-and-recovery to learn about treatment options, or knowthedangers.com/naloxone-finder to find naloxone near you.