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How Michigan communities are using opioid settlement funds

Narcan on a table
(Bridge photo by Brayan Gutierrez)

A three-month investigation by Bridge Michigan has revealed that only 28% of the $156 million received by Michigan counties and municipalities so far as part of nationwide opioid settlement agreements has been budgeted or spent.

Some governments have spent a lot of their money, others none at all. The lack of centralized oversight contributes to delays and inconsistencies in addressing the opioid crisis.

The data is current as of June 1. 

Wayne County

Received: $16,847,398

Spent: $4,536,205

Details: 

  • Behavioral health services/supports for juvenile justice-impacted youth: $512,705
  • Regional support for prevention, treatment, recovery, services: $2,000,000
  • "Well Wayne Stations"; Naloxone/harm reduction supplies: $1,875,000
  • Overdose prevention, harm reduction, anti-stigma media campaign; website development: $148,500

Macomb County

Received: $7,714,092

Spent: $2,481,214

Details:

  • Administration (including county staff administration, pretrial specialists to assess and divert individuals into appropriate behavioral health programming, Community Mental Health reentry staff, and consultants to identify gaps in services, assist in developing programming models and identify evidence-based services): $184,289
  • Residential substance abuse and co-occurring treatment (Meridian, SHAR Macomb, Team Wellness): $88,884
  • Transitional housing providers: $12,552
  • Sacred Heart jail-based MAT programming: $38,694
  • CARE jail-based peer support: $24,326
  • CARE jail-based behavioral health groups: $9,924
  • Technology to address holds of those in jail awaiting release to behavioral health programming: $41,842

According to the county, contracts have recently been signed with Macomb Community College to provide crisis intervention training programming for first responders in Macomb County and CARE of Southeast Michigan to provide programming for families with children affected by opioid use.

Detroit (Wayne County)

Received: $11,090,467

Spent: $11,090,467

Details:

  • Naloxone distribution through city-employed outreach workers: $89,000
  • City staff to develop and implement projects: $111,000
  • Quick Response Team to follow up with overdose survivors: $1,300,000
  • Behavioral health services and staff in homelessness shelters: $650,000

Oakland County

Received: $5,241,000

Spent: $839,383

Details:

  • Medication assisted treatment at the Oakland County Jail for fiscal years 2023 and 2024: $541,000
  • Epidemiologist position focusing on administering the Opioid Settlement Steering Committee, asset mapping, studying opiate fatalities, and other data relevant to addressing the public health impacts of opioid addiction. ($63,293 for fiscal 2024 and $117,545 each for fiscals 2025 and 2026): $298,383

Kent County

Received: $4,591,324

Spent: $1,900,000

Details: Click here for a four-page draft plan of spending.

Update: In July, Kent County approved a two-year spending plan that includes an expansion of recovery coach services, jail-based treatment and the purchase of Naloxone.

Flint (Genesee County)

Received: $3,300,000

Spent: $865,000

Details:

  • Public health navigators: $330,000
  • Prevention literacy program: $50,000
  • In-patient treatment: $200,000
  • Ambulance: $225,000
  • City Service Center sign: $9,924

Update: In August, Flint allocated $400,000 to its Office of Public Health to expand existing public health programming and services.

Kalamazoo County

Received: $4,667,344

Spent: $747,300

Details:

  • Administration: $5,000
  • Health Department (includes health educator): $188,000
  • Kalamazoo County Jail (includes nurse position to expand MAT program; TEK84 body scanner): $375,600
  • Office of Community Corrections (drug testing and monitoring for individuals unable to cover the cost themselves: $178,600

St. Clair County

Received: $3,145,236

Spent $344,430

Details:

  • Recovery court coordinator, clerk: $142,556
  • Training and travel: $695
  • Program graduation supplies/incentives: $1,065
  • St. Clair County Community Mental Health Authority: $23,325
  • Huron House (drug testing): $5,180
  • Huron House (GPS monitoring): $567
  • Blue Water DRP (drug screening): $15,995
  • Class A Training (drug testing): $250
  • Attorney for Recovery Court: $4,715
  • Blue Water Area Transportation, bus tickets: $80
  • Body Scanner for jail: $150,000

Genesee County

Received: $2,019,065

Spent: $375,043

Details:

  • Community Corrections deputy director position: $85,000;
  • Opioid Executive Committee administrative funding: $5,000
  • Matching grant from the opioid settlement's "core remediation": $114,000
  • Other expenditures: $171,043

Muskegon County

Received: $2,735,401

Spent: $817,372

Details:

  • Fresh Coast Alliance: $23,913
  • Life Align, harm reduction: $35,500
  • Life Align, recovery: $35,500
  • Grand Rapids Red Project: $35,500
  • Arbor Circle, treatment: $34,816
  • Arbor Circle, recovery: $34,981
  • Prosecutor's Office: $40,981
  • 60th District Court: $40,160
  • Sheriff's Office: $27,750

Calhoun County

Received: $1,900,558

Spent: $611,730

Details:

  • Sheriff’s Office (more personnel on regional drug enforcement team): $75,930
  • Sheriff’s Office (MAT within Calhoun County Jail): $235,800
  • Health Department (Project access support): $200,000
  • Battle Creek Community Foundation (to increase capacity at the homeless shelter): $100,000

Update:  In September, Calhoun County approved a nearly $600,000 spending plan for eight local providers.

Saginaw County

Received: $1,402,015

Spent: $130,000

Details: Opioid methamphetamine treatment for those on supervision for non-felony cases: $130,000

Monroe County

Received: $2,468,603

Spent: $639,183

Details: Detailed 2023 spending here. Detailed 2024 spending plan here.

Berrien County

Received: $2,209,625

Spent: $1,084,398

Details:

  • Jail Medication Assisted Treatment Program (MAT): $180,000
  • First Church of God: $420,112
  • Sacred Heart: $482,286

Grand Rapids (Kent County)

Received: $4,700,000

Spent: $800,000

Details:

  • Renovation of Southside Health Clinic: $500,000
  • Family Outreach Center holistic substance use treatment and services: $96,000
  • Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services community service provider training: $37,000
  • Grand Rapids Red Project, harm reduction supplies: $167,000

Bay County

Received: $1,729,040

Spent: $249,240

Details: unavailable

Update: In August, Bay County announced nearly $393,000 in initial spending for four local providers.

Sterling Heights (Macomb County)

Received: $1,500,000

Spent: $125,000

Details: Social worker and community mental wellness strategic plan: $125,000

Grand Traverse

Received: $1,750,000

Spent: $1,750,000

Details:

  • Crisis services: $300,000
  • Justice system involved residents (86th District Court): $164,000
  • Opiate use disorder and substance use disorder workforce capacity building: $350,000
  • Housing: $130,000
  • Evaluation and outcomes: $87,500
  • Prevention and outreach: $87,500
  • Contingency: $563,000
  • Contract Services (technical support and grant writing): $68,000

Montcalm County

Received $522,751

Spent: $201,668

Details:

  • Montcalm Alano Club: $7,668
  • Mid-Michigan District Health Department: $14,000
  • Randy’s House: $43,000
  • Sheridan Care: $68,500
  • Corewell Health, Lakeview and Greenville: $68,500

Jackson County

Received: $891,570

Spent: $87,935

Details: Health Department opioid/marijuana health educator, $87,934

Ogemaw County

Received: $800,000

Spent: $30,000

Details:

  • Training for drug enforcement officers: $20,000

Lansing (Ingham County)

Received: $800,000

Spent: $808,000

Details: $440,430 is equally distributed between police, fire and human relations and community services departments

Marquette County

Received: $847,000

Spent $100,000

Details: Health educator to teach prevention to high school students, provide community education  and research grant opportunities: $65,500

Newaygo County

Received: $739,098

Spent: $277,222

Details: Did not provide breakdown, but a bulk of these funds pay for at least one school resource officer. In September, Newaygo County was reconsidering its plan and likely will direct money toward jail-based medication assisted treatment, the county administrator told Bridge.

Lapeer County

Recieved so far (if known): $312,857

Spent and budgeted: $400,000

Details: $400,000 budgeted in fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 for opioid-related expenses in district Court and sheriff's office. Expenses include medication assisted treatment for inmates and a drug recovery court. Note: Commissioners budgeted more than they had on hand in anticipation of receiving more settlement funds by the end of 2024.

Livonia (Wayne)

Received: $365,886

Spent: $100,765

Details:

  • Wages: $5,740
  • Reimbursement 16th District Court: $9,983
  • Heigra, contract services: $52,474

Van Buren County

Received: $331,601

Spent: $11,000

Details: Narcan kits and display/distribution cases: $11,000

Hillsdale County

Received: $276,290

Spent: $95,067

Details: Equipment purchases; details not available

Cass County

Received: $580,573

Spent: $150,000

Details: unavailable

Westland (Wayne)

Received: $543,825

Spent so far (if known): $543,825

Details: unavailable

Alpena County

Received: $499,708

Spent $283,904

Details:

  • HUNT (Huron Undercover Narcotics Team) Officer: $123,022
  • Case management in drug court: $7,000

Wexford County

Received: $219,715

Spent: $120,262

Details:

  • Informational campaign: $13,641
  • Health Department media campaign: $15,000
  • Veterans services: $10,146.00
  • Sheriffs purchased deter kits: $10,146
  • Transportation assistance: $30,000
  • Substance use disorder assistance: $7,500
  • Tru Narc machine: $39,204

Update: In August, Wexford County approved the hiring of a court-based peer recovery coach and funding for an Addiction Treatment Services Mobile Unit.

Pontiac (Oakland County)

Received: $463,950

Spent: $269,700

Details: unavailable

Otsego County

Received: $452,000

Spent: $30,000

Details: Health Department of Northwest Michigan RISE program: $30,000

Mason County

Received: $394,174

Spent $0

Details: Mason County has budgeted $192,000 for a community assessment, but has not spent the money until it is complete. County officials say they have reached out to  Michigan State University to assist in completing the work.

Clare County

Received: $206,053

Spent $17,183

Details: Counseling and drug testing, $17,183

Ann Arbor (Washtenaw County)

Received: $380,453

Spent: $189,996

Details: City deflection program, $189,996

Canton Township (Wayne County)

Received: $388,331

Spent: $75,865

Details:

  • Social worker embedded in police department: $120,349
  • Administrative expenses: $36,730

Houghton County

Received: $250,685

Spent: $40,000

Details: Drug court, $40,000

Roseville (Macomb County)

Received: $368,370

Spent: $184,035

Details: unavailable

Osceola County

Received: $363,845

Spent: $271,559

Details: unavailable

Gladwin County

Received: $295,555

Spent: $67,336

Details:

  • Body cameras: $60,351
  • Recovery court: $6,985

Jackson (Jackson County)

Received: $281,728

Spent : $89,000

Details: Defibrillator equipment for drug overdoses, $89,000

Emmet County

Received: $130,979

Spent: $143,349

Details: County has spent money on "professional and contractual" costs but did not provide details.

Presque Isle County

Received: $229,256

Spent: $100,000

Details (if known):

$100,000 set aside in budget, but not spent as of June 1.

Eastpointe (Macomb County)

Received: $114,765

Spent: $114,765

Details: Funds to be spent on police and fire for training as departments see fit.

Farmington Hills (Oakland County)

Received: $119,272

Spent : $119,272

Details: There is no specific budget for opioid-related expenditures, according to Farmington Hills. Rather funds sift into personnel and operating budgets to be "used to respond to opioid-related incidents."

Benzie County

Received: $219,391

Spent: $100,000

Details:

  • Education and prevention for youth, partnering with schools: $12,200
  • Medication assisted treatment programming, expansion of drug court, emergency medical dispatch, professional development and training for first responders: $60,770

Port Huron (St Clair County)

Received: $101,800

Spent: $101,800

Details: Blue Water Recovery & Outreach: $101,800

Royal Oak (Oakland County)

Received: $213,217

Spent : $103,226

Details:

  • Software upgrade for emergency medical dispatch: $74,836
  • Royal Oak Community Coalition (programs for youth, pregnant and postpartum women): $5,000
  • Expand police department Quick Response Team: $2,500
  • Sobriety court testing: $20,000

Wyoming (Kent County)

Received: $273,133

Spent: $99,542

Details: unavailable

Leelanau County

Received: $194,938

Spent: $64,000

Detail: Unknown

Iron County

Received: $173,685

Spent: $21,504

Details: In-house counseling at the jail: $21,504

Chesterfield Township (Macomb County)

Received $100,577

Spent: $9,591

Details: Public safety, to details provided.

Pittsfield Township (Washtenaw)

Received: $400,000

Spent: $400,000

Details:

  • Capital outlay, $375,000
  • Services – IT maintenance, $20,000
  • Miscellaneous, $5,000

Romulus (Wayne County)

Received: $198,032

Spent: $80,000

Details: unavailable

Dearborn Heights (Wayne County)

Received: $144,813

Spent: $71,455

Details: defibrillators in police cars

Montmorency County

Received: $138,671

Spent: $65,000

Details: Sunrise Centre Project, support for recovery meetings, Narcan distribution support, $24,735.62

Holland (Allegan, Ottawa counties)

Received: $136,000

Spent: $136,000

Details: unavailable

Wayne (Wayne County)

Received: $138,287

Spent: $44,450

Details: Wayne city officials hopes to use the funds for a "power stretcher" for medical calls.

Northville Township (Wayne County)

Received: $76,500

Spent: $25,000

Details: Northville officials say they are considering expenditures for public safety training and Northville Youth Network

Novi (Oakland County)

Received: $63,269

Spent $12,700

Details: unavailable

Missaukee County

Received: $7,500

Spent: $7,500

Details: Opioid diversion program, $7,500

Oscoda County

Received: $85,860

Spent: $72,580

Details: unavailable

Mackinac County

Received: $32,000

Spent: $10,000

Details: unavailable

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