The Office of the Governor announced California is partnering with 112 community organizations to prevent opioid and stimulant use, reduce overdose risk and connect people to treatment and recovery services.

The Department of Health Care Services’ Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention and Education Program is investing more than $21 million statewide to fund outreach and education, naloxone distribution and training, workshops and town halls, peer navigation and strengthened referral pathways with local providers.

The release points to program results from the prior year as evidence of progress: from Sept. 2024 to Sept. 2025, 28,109 patients received opioid use disorder treatment services; 6,713 patients received stimulant disorder treatment; 24,274 patients received recovery support services; 14,090 new patients started medications for opioid use disorder; and an estimated 164,349 people, including 11,029 school-aged youth, received prevention education.

Awarded organizations will run locally tailored activities from Sept. 1, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2027; planned work includes naloxone distribution and training, community outreach campaigns, peer navigation and partnerships with health care, behavioral health, schools, tribes and faith-based groups to strengthen referrals.

The announcement says the program is funded through the federal State Opioid Response (SOR) IV grant administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; the release also notes the state is offering lower-priced CalRx-branded over-the-counter naloxone and that the Naloxone Distribution Project’s kits have been credited with reversing more than 460,000 overdoses.

Practical effect for Californians: local groups funded by this award are intended to make naloxone and treatment referrals easier to find in communities; the release gave a helpline; call 1-800-944-1807 or text 1-833-308-0461, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and pointed readers to Opioids.CA.GOV for resources on prevention and treatment.

Sources & methodology

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Office of the Governor of California

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