Connecting Residents to Essential Services and Information for Opioid Use Disorder
Opioid Settlement Funds Overview
Beginning 2022, the State of New Jersey began to receive funds from a federal opioid settlement. The settlement consists of various agreements with the following: Johnson & Johnson, distributors (McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen), Malinckrodt PLC, Allergan, CVS, Teva, Walgreens, and Walmart.
The funds will be divided between state, County, and local municipalities to fund programs that focus on treatment, prevention, and other strategies to combat the opioid epidemic. They will also be spent on strategies to reduce the opioid epidemic’s ongoing harms to residents and communities.
The County’s Office on Behavioral Health and Substance Misuse (OBHSM) is the lead agency responsible for the monitoring and oversight of Union County’s Opioid Settlement Fund. Local municipalities also receiving funding can be contacted directly to inquire further about program planning and development.
Current Projects
As of 2026 the County is supporting the following initiatives:
- Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services – Supporting Individuals in Treatment & Recovery
- Prevention Links – Transportation & Supporting Individuals in Treatment & Recovery
- PROCEED – Prevention of Overdose Death & Other Harms
- Real House, Inc. – Supporting Individuals in Treatment & Recovery, Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, Prevention of Overdose Death & Other Harms, Prevention of Misuse of Opioids, Needs of Pregnant & Parenting Women, Connections to Care
- RWJBH Trinitas Regional Medical Center – Prevention of Misuse of Opioids, Connections to Care
- Union County Prosecutor’s Office – Prevention of Overdose Death & Other Harms, Prevention of Misuse of Opioids, Connections to Care
Opioid Task Force
In 2023, the County of Union established the Opioid Task Force to review data, analysis, proposals, and engage with the community to develop and provide recommendations on the allocation and distribution of the County’s opioid settlement funds.
The County, along with the Opioid Task Force conducted (2) listening sessions to provide members of the public an opportunity to weigh in on how the County’s settlement funds should be utilized in the community.
Survey
The County released a survey to receive further input from the public on how settlement funds should be utilized.
Resources
- Atlantic Health System and County of Union Webinars
- State of New Jersey – Opioid Settlement Fund
- State of New Jersey – Stop Overdoses
- State of New Jersey – New Jersey Helos
- State of New Jersey – Human Services
- State of New Jersey – Human Services – Reach-NJ
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- State of New Jersey – Family Care
Contact
For more information regarding Union County’s Opioid Settlement Fund programming, please email OBHSM@ucnj.org