Mississippi’s opioid settlement fund held $111,466,409.76 as of June 16, 2026, and organizations working on addiction treatment in Mississippi have a five week window to compete for a share of it.
The state begins accepting applications for opioid abatement grants on Monday, August 31. The window will stay open through Monday, October 5.
For Mississippi residents, that timeline matters. The programs funded in this cycle are the ones that will be running in their communities next year.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has published a new online portal. It explains who can apply, what the state legislature funds, what the application asks for and where applicants can get help.
Where the Money Comes From
Mississippi is receiving approximately $400 million over an 18-year span from settlements with more than a dozen manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retail pharmacies, and marketers of opioids over their roles in the opioid epidemic.
The state established the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council in 2025 to determine how to allocate those dollars.
In the first grant cycle in 2025, the council received nearly 130 applications, and the legislature approved $60.6 million in appropriations from the fund.
“There are so many great organizations across Mississippi doing innovative and exciting things to help our state recover from the harm the opioid epidemic caused,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
“We have brought hundreds of millions of dollars to Mississippi, and we encourage any organizations with programs or services that might be eligible to review these updated resources and learn more about how to apply and help Mississippi heal.”
Help for Applicants
The Attorney General’s Office is partnering with The Steadman Group and NiVACK Group to provide technical support to applicants. Two webinars are scheduled during the application period:
Tuesday, September 15, from 2 to 3 p.m. Central
Wednesday, September 23, from 1 to 2 p.m. Central
Understanding Opioid Addiction
Opioids include prescription pain medications such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, along with heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
They relieve pain by binding to receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and with repeated use the body adapts, so a person needs more of the drug to get the same effect and feels physically ill without it.
Common signs of opioid addiction include using more than intended or for longer than intended, needing higher doses over time, withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, muscle aches, sweating, and restlessness when use stops, and continuing to use despite problems at work, at home, or with health.
Pulling away from family, unexplained money trouble, and losing interest in things that used to matter are often what loved ones notice first.
Fentanyl has made the picture more dangerous for anyone using street pills or powders, because it is far more potent than heroin and is frequently present without the buyer knowing.
What This Means for Mississippi Residents
Grant cycles like this one determine what is available locally: whether a county gets a new outpatient program, whether a recovery organization can keep its doors open, whether naloxone reaches the neighborhoods that need it.
The first cycle drew nearly 130 applications, which suggests real demand from organizations across the state.
If you run a nonprofit, treatment program, health department, or community organization doing prevention, treatment, recovery support or harm reduction work in Mississippi, this window is the practical route to state opioid settlement dollars. The portal is the place to confirm eligibility before the October 5 deadline.
Finding Addiction Treatment in Mississippi
You do not have to wait for a grant cycle to get help. Addiction treatment in Mississippi is available now across a range of settings. Treatment options include outpatient counseling, medication for opioid use disorder and residential care. Call
800-681-1058
(
Sponsored)
to speak with a treatment specialist today.