The New Jersey Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council released its inaugural Strategic Plan. It’s a comprehensive, five-year plan for the equitable and data-driven investment of opioid settlement funds. The vision of the plan is “individuals and communities will view substance use disorder as a health condition and those impacted by it will have equitable access to treatment and long-term support services that meet their basic needs, reduce harm, and foster recovery and wellbeing, ultimately reducing drug-related fatalities.”

The Advisory Council makes recommendations for the state allocation of the national opioid settlement funds. The Strategic Plan outlines goals to promote and expand housing, harm reduction, treatment, and wraparound services, all grounded in extensive public input and a statewide needs assessment.

Key highlights of the Strategic Plan include: 

• A vision of substance use disorder as a health condition that should be met with equitable access to treatment and support services that endeavor to reduce drug-related fatalities. 
• Four key investment areas: safe, stable, and supportive housing; harm reduction services; treatment services; and coordinated wraparound services. 
• Twelve core strategies are designed to reduce overdose deaths, improve treatment access, and address the social determinants of health that include: 
  • Expanding Housing First initiatives 
  • Expanding affordable, supportive and transitional and permanent housing models 
  • Distributing Harm Reduction supplies through community-based organizations 
  • Integrating Harm Reduction services into health care settings 
  • Training emergency services in Harm Reduction 
  • Conducting treatment gap analysis 
  • Expanding evidence based/best practice treatment services (medication for opioid use disorder and trauma informed care) 
  • Enhancing or expanding transportation options 
  • Developing guidelines for discharge planning 
  • Expanding peer specialist capacity to provide case management services 
  • Expanding family support groups and treatment programs 
• A robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the impact of investments and ensure accountability. 

New Jersey will receive $1 billion over 18 years from national opioid settlements. The state will receive half of this funding, while the other half will be provided directly to participating county and municipal government agencies. Governor Murphy in 2024 announced allocations of $95 million and $25 million on the advice of the Advisory Council. New Jersey is expanding proven harm reduction strategies, legal services, and housing for those in recovery.

For more information and to view the full Strategic Plan, visit the state’s opioid settlement page. 

Contact: Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, x116.