Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced that the state has received $36.7 million in federal funding to fight the opioid crisis. Funding expands prevention, treatment, recovery and overdose response initiatives across the state. The State Opioid Response (SOR) federal grant is awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Funds will be used to continue the following initiatives:

• expanded access to Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) services for persons with opioid use disorders, including those in the criminal justice system;

• hospital screenings and linkage to community treatment programs for their patients; supportive housing and digital resources for persons in recovery from opioid use disorder;

• access to medication-assisted recovery for patients at federally qualified health centers;

• expansion this year for treatment of persons with stimulant use disorder, in response to rising rates of methamphetamine and cocaine use