Alcohol, drug and other addictions: News, initiatives, reports, work groups

These meetings, scheduled on the third Thursday of every month, are a one-stop sharing location of DHS news, communications, updates, changes and more. The audience includes, but is not limited to, providers and partners from the substance use disorder community, managed care organization staff and other state agency representatives.

Thursday Connections with SUD

The Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) Outpatient Services Rates Study was approved by the Minnesota legislature in 2021. The Department of Human Services (DHS) contracted with an independent contractor, Burns & Associates division of Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA Burns) to conduct a study of rate-setting for MHCP outpatient services.

Minnesota Health Care Programs Fee for Service Outpatient Services Rates Study

Direct Access allows an individual to go directly to a provider they choose to receive a comprehensive assessment and access care immediately. Direct Access removes barriers of timing associated with going through a placing authority, allows for individual choice, and removes duplication of comprehensive assessments.

Direct Access

Women’s Recovery Services helps women in treatment remain alcohol and drug free, get and keep a job, stay out of the criminal justice system, have stable housing, get physical and mental health services for themselves and their children and deliver babies who test negative for substances at birth.

Woman's Recovery Services

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is facilitating the annual reporting of national opioid settlement fund expenditures among Minnesota cities and counties.

Minnesota Opioid Settlement Expenditure Reporting Project

As of 4/1/2025, the Portal is active for organizations with existing accounts. 

Previous account applications were invited to participate in the portal in May. New account applications for eligible organizations will be available in June. Immediate account requests for portal eligible organizations may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Learn more about the Minnesota Naloxone Portal.

In the 2023 legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature mandated the carrying of naloxone hydrochloride, an opiate or opioid antagonist that reverses opioid overdoses, to select groups in the state, expanding access to the medication as an intervention to prevent opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota.

This 2023 report consolidates two statutorily required reports:

1. Minn. Stat. § 256.042, subd. 5 requires the advisory council to report annually by Jan. 31 of each year on information about the individual projects that receive grants and the overall role of the project in addressing the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic in Minnesota. Minn. Stat § 256.042, subd. 1(d) requires the council to include proposed goals, measurable outcomes and proposed benchmarks to meet goals in the report to the legislature due Jan. 31, 2021.
2. Minn. Stat. § 256.042, subd. 4 requires the commissioner of human services to submit a report of the grants proposed by the advisory council to be awarded for the upcoming fiscal year by March 1 of each year.

This report covers the four report areas:

1. Opioid Epidemic baseline, outcomes and benchmarks
2. Individual Grants update
3. Assessment of progress toward achieving statewide access to treatment
4. Individual grant proposals

The Department of Human Services drafted this report in consultation with the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council (“the Council”), the Minnesota Management and Budget Department (MMB) and the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy.

DHS staff from the Minnesota Problem Gambling Program reviewed problem gambling websites and current reports submitted by contracted grantees. Problem gambling information is provided through several sources, which includes statewide meetings, focus groups, surveys and treatment providers. The Minnesota Problem Gambling Program is advised by the Advisory Committee on Compulsive Gambling, which is a 16-member committee appointed by the Commissioner of Human Services.

View the report: Problem Gambling: A Report on the State's Progress in Addressing the Problem of Compulsive Gambling and on the Percentage of Gambling Revenues that Come From Problem Gamblers

The Synar Annual Report documents compliance with laws restricting access of minors to retail tobacco products and measurement of retailer compliance. Our team of six state inspectors and 50 underage tobacco purchasers conducted 496 undercover buy attempts resulting in 47 buys with a retailer violation rate of 9.5% for the 2025 Federal Fiscal Year.

• Synar Annual Report FFY2026 (PDF)
• Synar Annual Report FFY2024 (PDF)
• Synar Annual Report FFY2023 (PDF)
• Synar Rates History (PDF)

Addressing Tobacco-Related Health Disparities

The Behavioral Health Division submits a combined application for the Substance Use and Mental Health Block Grants every two years. It describes the public mental health and substance use disorder systems in Minnesota; identifies needs, priorities, goals and indicators; and proposes uses of block grant funds.

States must submit an annual report on their use of the grant funds, progress toward the goal targets and other data. Public input is sought in developing and updating applications on an ongoing basis.

For public comments on the Substance Use Block Grant, please email Keith.Koegler@state.mn.us.

 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a web-based application/reporting system called the Web Block Grant Application System (WebBGAS)  where you can review previous applications and reports.

Minnesota citizens can log in at the SAMHSA Block Grants website.

• Username: citizenmn
• Password: citizen

Note: The exact Username and Password must be used. We suggest copying and pasting from above.

After you log in:

1. Click on View an Existing Application
2. Click on the Application or Report that you want to view
3. You can review Minnesota’s current and past applications and reports

To read or print the entire application or report, click the print button to the right of your selection. This generates a PDF printout of the entire application or report that you can download in the Print Queue.

The Minnesota Student Survey (MSS) provides students, parents and their communities a dynamic vehicle for on-going communication about issues vital to the health, safety and academic success of youth.

View the website: Minnesota Student Survey

During the 2012 Legislative Session, the Minnesota Legislature enacted a law directing the Commissioner of Human Services to collaborate with counties, tribes, and other stakeholders to develop a community-based integrated model of care to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the service continuum for chemically dependent individuals in Minnesota. This report provides an overview of the model of care and concludes with recommendations for implementation.

The Drug and Alcohol Abuse Normative Evaluation System (DAANES) provides policymakers, planners, service providers and others in Minnesota with access to current information about chemical dependency treatment activities across the continuum of care.

The American Indian Advisory Council, established in Minnesota Statutes section 254A.035, helps the Behavioral Health Division in reviewing proposals and formulating policies and procedures relating to chemical dependency and the abuse of alcohol and other drugs by American Indians. The council consists of 17 persons who are American Indians and who are appointed by the commissioner of Human Services. The commissioner appoints one representative from each of the federally recognized Minnesota tribes, as well as representatives from the urban Indian communities of International Falls and Duluth. Two representatives each are from the Minneapolis and St. Paul urban Indian communities. Applications are available through the Behavioral Health Division.

For more information about the American Indian Advisory Council, please contact Christine Renville at 651-431-5701.

The Minnesota Behavioral Health Planning Council (BHPC) is an integrated mental health and substance use disorder council that advises DHS regarding Minnesota’s Mental Health and Substance Use Federal Block Grants.

Prevention Resource Centers provide information, resource material and technical assistance to community groups and organizations engaged in prevention activities.

Minnesota Prevention Resource Center (MPRC)
2395 University Avenue West, Suite 310
St. Paul, MN 55114
651-646-3005 (telephone number)
651-646-0142 (fax number)

Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center (MIWRC)
2300 15th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-728-2000 (telephone number)

The Minnesota Legislature requested that the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) form a work group to conduct a study of sober homes. The Sober Homes Work Group reported and made recommendations to the Legislature in 2023.

Access the Sober Homes Work Group website: The Sober Homes Work Group

The SUD Community of Practice consists of people who are engaged in the field of SUD treatment and prevention in any capacity including but not limited to consumers, providers, family members, researchers, recovery peers and advocates. The group may issue reports and recommendations to the legislative chairs and ranking minorities of committees in both local and regional governments.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2021, a work group of relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to demonstration project participants and the Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health, meet at least quarterly to evaluate the long-term sustainability of any improvements to quality or access to substance use disorder treatment services caused by participation in the demonstration project. The work group determines how to implement successful outcomes of the demonstration project once the project expires.

View the work group website: Demonstration Project Evaluation Work Group

Special Session Law 2025 Chapter 9, Article 4, Section 51, the Minnesota State Legislature required DHS to collaborate with interested parties across the state to produce a report that examines how other states fund recovery residences and create an implementable plan addressing the housing needs of individuals in Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment. This work group will be active throughout 2026.

Access the Recovery Residence Work Group webpage.