June 12, 2025

(TRENTON) - The New Jersey Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council today released its inaugural Strategic Plan — a comprehensive, five-year roadmap to guide the equitable and data-driven investment of opioid settlement funds by the state.

The plan focuses on saving lives, reducing harm, and improving long-term outcomes for individuals and communities impacted by the opioid crisis.

Convened in 2023, the Advisory Council is tasked with making recommendations for how New Jersey should allocate its share of the national opioid settlement funds. The newly released Strategic Plan outlines clear goals to promote and expand housing, harm reduction, treatment, and wraparound services, all grounded in extensive public input and a statewide needs assessment.

“Our Administration has made historic investments into lifesaving programs to support New Jersey families impacted by the opioid crisis. While I am immensely proud of our progress, much work remains,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council’s Strategic Plan represents a crucial step forward in our continued fight to prevent overdose deaths in New Jersey and better support those struggling with substance use disorders. By relying on the input of those most affected by the opioid crisis, this plan will help ensure that settlement funds are invested in improving treatment and wraparound services while tracking long-term success, giving communities across New Jersey the resources necessary to support sustained recovery.”

“While no amount of settlement payments can undo the harm and human toll of the opioid crisis, we can and must ensure New Jersey uses the funding wisely to help our residents and communities recover,” said Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, who chairs the Advisory Council. “Over the past year and a half, our Advisory Council has heard and learned from hundreds of people with lived experience and expertise who have helped shape a strong plan that prioritizes evidence-based harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. This Strategic Plan serves as a guide for current and future State-level spending, and may be an important resource for local governments as they make their own settlement spending plans.”

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 designed to reduce overdose deaths, improve treatment access, and address the social determinants of health; and
• A robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the impact of investments and ensure accountability.

New Jersey will receive at least $1 billion over 18 years from national opioid settlements with companies that played a role in the opioid crisis. 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. In alignment with the Strategic Plan, New Jersey is expanding proven harm reduction strategies, legal services, and housing for those in recovery; enhancing access to substance use treatment and prevention; and addressing emerging threats like xylazine.

The opioid epidemic is a critical public health challenge in New Jersey and across the country. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, in 2023 more than seven New Jersey residents per day died from overdose.

The Strategic Plan is the result of a 15-month planning process led in partnership with the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services (CREEHS) at Montclair State University.

The process included a needs assessment, interviews with stakeholders and individuals with lived experience, and ongoing collaboration with service providers and community organizations. The Strategic Plan is designed to be adaptive, evolving over time in response to changing needs, data, and community feedback.

For more information and to view the full Strategic Plan, visit here.