Office of Addiction and Recovery

Note from the Director

Spring 2026

This year is off to an eventful start, and there is much to be accomplished. The Office of Addiction and Recovery continues to hold events, build key governing tools, push important SUD policy, and support and coordinate high-impact substance use related activities across state agencies. In February OAR published a report on the current state of Minnesota’s SUD response. This report is the first phase in the development of an interagency state substance use plan that will be completed by the end of year. That plan and the strategic priorities it outlines will help set the course for the work of the Subcabinet on Opioids, Substance Use, and Addiction into the future.

The State also continues to push back against Medicaid funding cut threats from the federal government. In addition to the historic disinvestment stemming from the passage of the reconciliation bill last summer, the federal government is threatening to cut billions of dollars a year from Minnesota. While ostensibly related to program integrity concerns, these threatened cuts are unprecedented in the 60-year history of the Medicaid program and have been widely condemned.

Amidst all of this OAR continues to bring state agencies together to more effectively deliver substance use services and supports to Minnesotans. The Interagency State Substance Use Plan, now in active development, will translate that collective effort into shared strategic priorities designed to sustain and build on the progress we've made. OAR looks forward to completing that work before the end of the year.

News, Updates & Engagement

Interagency State Substance Use Plan Report

In February, the Subcabinet on Opioids, Substance Use, and Addiction developed and published the Interagency State Substance Use Plan Report, pursuant to legislation passed last year.

The subcabinet took a systems change approach to this work, beginning with a “phase 1” that describes the current state of Minnesota’s SUD system. This first phase creates a shared, foundational understanding of the current system in order to then move to the creation of subcabinet goals and priorities.

Within the report you will find:

• Key substance use and SUD prevalence data.
• Identification of the roles and responsibilities of subcabinet state agencies as they relate to response to substance use, misuse and SUD.
• Highlights of the results of the state’s first fiscal mapping of all state spending related to substance use response across the continuum of care.
• Analysis of state commitments made through state statute, other state plans, and community and partner reports and a description of the system as it is currently.

Tour of Minnesota Correctional Facilities (MCF)

On January 29, OAR had the opportunity to visit both the Lino Lakes and Stillwater correctional facilities. During the tours, the Department of Corrections (DOC) highlighted the various treatment programs that individuals may engage in while incarcerated. The visit also provided the opportunity for incarcerated persons to talk about some of the other rehabilitative programming options that they take pride in such as training service animals in the Lino Lakes facility and the tattoo shop in the Stillwater facility.

Dakota County Hope Summit

OAR participated in the March 21 summit that gathered opioid and health care professionals, community leaders and residents with lived experience to learn about the opioid crisis and how to reduce stigma and address substance misuse.

Event highlights included:

• Expert speakers, workshops and panel discussions.
• A resource fair and networking.
• A brief overview of opioid settlement funding in Dakota County.

OAR Policy Director, Nathaniel Dyess

Low-Barrier MOUD Workgroup Final Report

The Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and the Office of Addiction and Recovery is reaching out to share a newly posted Low Barrier MOUD Workgroup Final Report. A work group of experts informed the report which prioritizes five recommendations to improve access to care for people with opioid use disorders.

Recovery Advocacy Workshop

On February 27, MARCO (Minnesota Alliance of Recovery Community Organizations) facilitated a full-day Recovery Advocacy Workshop focused on building advocacy skills, exploring policy issues, and connecting with peers in the Minnesota recovery community.

OAR Policy Director, Nathaniel Dyess

Recovery Day on The Hill

MARCO hosted this annual event at the state Capitol on March 18, where OAR Director Jeremy Drucker spoke to the power of people’s recovery stories to help drive and shape public policy.

OAR Director, Jeremy Drucker

African Americans and Recovery: Sociocultural Perspectives

On March 26, OAR hosted a webinar featuring Dr. Jonathan Lofgren, PhD, LADC.

This 90-minute interactive webinar offered the unique personal exploration of addiction and recovery from Dr. Jonathan Lofgren’s lived, professional and scholarly experience as an African American with 38 years of long-term recovery, 20 years of direct service in the addictions field, and 20 years of training, teaching and research in addictions and co-occurring disorders.

Participants were invited to explore how addictions have impacted African Americans and how African Americans find treatment and recovery along varied pathways, as well as to provide input on the African American definition and principles of recovery.

Dr. Lofgren’s presentation is available on the OAR website.

Dr. Jonathan Lofgren, PhD, LADC.

New Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Webpage Now Available

Note: This content is an excerpt from the March 2026 Overdose Prevention Update from MDH.

MDH's Overdose Prevention unit is excited to announce the release of the Medications for Opioid Use Disorder webpage. 

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a medical condition with an effective available treatment. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) help people by easing withdrawal symptoms, reducing cravings, and supporting stability. MOUD is the gold standard of care for OUD, and it significantly improves the success of long-term recovery.

Everyone deserves compassionate, evidence-based treatment, and MOUD is one of the most powerful tools we have to help people heal.

Visit MDH's new MOUD webpage to learn more about:

• FDA-approved MOUDs
• How MOUD works
• Low barrier MOUD access
• MDH-funded MOUD programs

Federal Government Threatens to Cut Billions in Medicaid Funding

The federal government recently deferred $260 million in reimbursement for Medicaid funding, an action that threatens health care for children, seniors and people with substance use disorders. Medicaid covers more than 1 in 5 Minnesotans, including nearly 600,000 children. This deferral comes on top of the Trump administration’s attempt to withhold more than $2 billion in annual Medicaid funding from Minnesota. This represents a catastrophic loss of funding for the Medicaid program, our state’s health care system and the Minnesotans who rely on it to access necessary health care services. To support partners during this time, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has developed several resources, including a Medicaid Matters toolkit and resource summarizing ongoing program integrity efforts. DHS emphasizes that providers should continue serving enrollees and that people should keep accessing care and filling prescriptions.

Legislative update

Much of this legislative session has been focused on strengthening fraud prevention in Medical Assistance programs, oversight of state contracts and protecting and improving housing access. The legislature has also heard several bills related to the State’s response to substance use and misuse.

Bills have been heard that seek to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) by removing prior authorization requirements for MOUD, allowing pharmacists to prescribe MOUDs and ensuring safe access to medications for people detained in jails.

Additional bills that touch on SUD-related topics seek to modify punitive approaches for addressing SUD for pregnant individuals, codify requirements for addressing nicotine and tobacco use disorders, and modifying statutes that identify what crimes determine permanent disqualifications for background studies.

Strategies

The Office of Addiction and Recovery works across state and local governments to coordinate and align efforts, and better target the state's role in addressing addiction, treatment, and recovery. The office conducts robust public engagement to build relationships with communities to ensure people with direct experience identify key priorities to meet the needs of their communities.

Healthy Beginnings. Child Care and Early Education. Mental Health and Well-being. Housing Stability.

Contact Us.

Website: mn.gov/mmb/oar
Email: officeofaddictionandrecovery.mmb@state.mn.us