North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the recipients of the latest round of Opioid Settlement Fund grants. These awards support efforts across North Dakota to prevent opioid misuse, expand access to treatment and recovery services, and enhance the behavioral health workforce.
“Opioid settlement funds allow us to invest in programs that save lives, support recovery and build healthier communities,” said Christopher Joseph, chair of the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee and general counsel for the Governor’s Office. “We’re proud to partner with organizations doing the vital work of prevention, treatment and recovery every day across the state.”
The current grant cycle follows North Dakota’s continued participation in national opioid settlements with manufacturers and distributors. The state is projected to receive approximately $60 million over 18 years, which must be used in alignment with national settlement guidelines to address the impact of the opioid crisis.
The North Dakota Legislature appropriated funds to HHS for the 2025-2027 biennium to continue expanding access to evidence-based services. Entities applying for funding were encouraged to align their proposals with priority recommendations from the Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee. These priorities included:
- Expanding community-based treatment and recovery services
- Increasing access to services within jail and correctional settings
- Supporting prevention strategies through youth and community coalitions
- Enhancing the behavioral health workforce
- Implementing Syringe Service Programs
The following organizations were selected to receive funding for their proposed initiatives:
- Heartview Foundation, $128,890 – Develop and implement a plan to establish an Opioid Treatment Program and a peer support specialist program in Dickinson.
- ND Training Academy for Addiction Professionals (TAAP), $2,496,562 – Enhance North Dakota’s behavioral health workforce by expanding addiction counselor training, providing college scholarships and offering paid internships.
- North Dakota State University ONE Program
- $140,691 – Establish two Opioid Treatment Program Medication Units in North Dakota rural community pharmacies.
- $247,545 – Establish opioid prevention programs in four additional correctional facilities in North Dakota.
- $165,639 – Develop and implement a culturally responsive medication safety, harm reduction and overdose prevention education content for K-12 persons in Native American Communities.
- Goldfinch Health, $382,829 – Partner with hospitals and medical professionals to implement post-surgery prescribing practices to prevent opioid misuse.
- Family HealthCare, $1,667,500 – Implement a sustainable model for screening for and initiating Sublocade treatment – an extended-release formulation of buprenorphine – for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder during incarceration and post-release at Cass County Jail in Fargo.
- USpireND Healthy Families North Dakota, $212,388 – Provide a home visiting program for parents of children who have been prenatally exposed to substances, parents who are incarcerated or newly released, parents in recovery and parents who have not yet entered recovery.
- Southwest Multi-County Correction Center, $829,848 – Expand substance use treatment and recovery services in the community and within the correctional facility in western North Dakota.
- South Central Judicial District Drug Court (Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), $48,000 – Provide substance use disorder treatment services and coordination of care to individuals involved in the South Central Judicial District Drug Court in Bismarck.
- Northeast Central Judicial District Drug Court (Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), $72,000 – Provide substance use disorder treatment services and coordination of care to individuals involved in the Northeast Central Judicial District Drug Court in Grand Forks.
- North Central Judicial District Drug Court (Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), $48,000 – Provide substance use disorder treatment services and coordination of care to individuals involved in the North Central Judicial District Drug Court in Minot.
- First District Health Unit, $162,882 – Expand Syringe Service Program services to help individuals with a substance use disorder connect to treatment and recovery services in Minot.
- Rolette County Public Health District, $223,868 – Implement a K–9 evidence-based substance use prevention curriculum and a media campaign to raise awareness, promote prevention and link individuals to local resources.
- Ward County Detention Center, $224,655 – Implement a Medication for Opioid Use Disorder treatment program at Ward County Detention Center, including screening, treatment referral, peer support and harm reduction education.
- MHA Sober Living Program, $264,129 – Establish a dedicated, trauma-informed sober living facility for women on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation who are working to regain custody of their children.
- Providence House Minot LLC, $390,000 – Provide residential substance use disorder treatment services specifically serving pregnant and parenting women.
- Community Medical Services, $294,500 – Expand access to peer-based recovery support to further strengthen engagement and retention in outpatient opioid treatment services across the North Dakota clinic locations.
Each funded project will begin July 1, 2025, under a 24-month contract period. Grant applications were accepted between April 4 and April 28, 2025, with final selections based on alignment with evidence-based practices, committee recommendations and anticipated community impact.
“These awards reflect our commitment to helping North Dakotans access the support and services they need,” said Pamela Sagness, executive director of the HHS Behavioral Health Division. “As programs are implemented, we continue to see positive outcomes for those seeking recovery from addiction.”
For more information on the Opioid Settlement Fund and a full list of current and past grantees, visit hhs.nd.gov/opioids/settlement.