Ohio communities are getting more money to reach people right after an overdose, one of the narrow windows when someone is most likely to accept help.
The state attorney general’s office announced on August 25 that it has awarded more than $2.5 million to 38 local agencies, funding that connects overdose survivors to addiction treatment in Ohio and to longer term recovery support.
The grants go to law enforcement agencies and local governments through the Drug Abuse Response Team program, known as DART. The money covers team activities through June 30, 2027.
How Drug Abuse Response Teams Work
A DART team pairs local police or sheriff’s deputies with behavioral health providers. Together they offer around the clock help to people who have survived an overdose, and to their families.
That help can include a direct connection to treatment, recovery support services, and other local resources meant to lower the chance of another overdose. The model rests on a simple idea: someone who just survived an overdose is easier to reach in the days that follow than weeks later.
“Overdose survivors need urgent, hands-on support to break the cycle of addiction,” Attorney General Andy Wilson said.
Wilson said the grants let local law enforcement and health partners meet people where they are and guide them toward recovery. His office has run the DART program since 2017, and many of this year’s recipients have received the grants before.
Where the Money Is Going
Individual awards for fiscal year 2027 range from $20,280 to $149,037. The office combined $1.5 million in funding from the Ohio General Assembly with $1 million in legal settlement funds to build this year’s pool.
The largest awards went to agencies serving both major metro areas and smaller counties.
Recipients also include the Akron Fire Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force, the East Palestine Police Department, and the Athens County Sheriff’s Office, among others spread across the state.
Understanding Opioid Overdose and Its Warning Signs
An opioid overdose happens when a drug slows breathing to a dangerous level. Signs include very small pupils, slow or stopped breathing, limp arms and legs, blue or gray lips and fingertips, and a person who cannot be woken. Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose, and calling 911 still matters even after it is given.
Surviving an overdose does not mean the risk is gone. The weeks afterward carry an elevated chance of another one, which is why programs like DART aim to intervene quickly.
Common signs of opioid addiction in a family member include needing more of a drug to get the same effect, withdrawal symptoms like sweating, nausea, and body aches when they stop, pulling away from family and work, running out of prescriptions early, and continuing to use even after clear consequences.
If you are seeing these patterns, learning about opiate withdrawal can help you understand what a loved one is facing.
Finding Addiction Treatment in Ohio
DART teams connect people to care, but families do not have to wait for a crisis to start looking. Treatment for opioid use disorder often begins with medically supervised detox and continues with medication and counseling. Options include buprenorphine treatment and other approaches covered in guides to heroin addiction treatment.
Because much of the current overdose risk traces to synthetic opioids, it is also worth understanding fentanyl and its warning signs.
You can search the Addictions.com directory to compare addiction treatment centers across Ohio by location, level of care, and insurance accepted.