California is partnering with 112 community organizations through a $21 million opioid and stimulant use disorder prevention program, the Department of Health Care Services announced.
From September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, the awarded organizations will conduct community outreach and education campaigns, distribute naloxone (a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses), host workshops and town halls, provide peer navigation services, and strengthen referral pathways to treatment and recovery support.
"California is acting with urgency to save lives and strengthen communities. By partnering with local organizations that people know and trust, we are expanding prevention, education, and pathways to treatment so more Californians can get help and heal," Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
The Opioid and Stimulant Use Disorder Prevention and Education Program is part of the state's broader effort to combat the overdose epidemic. In the year from September 2024 to September 2025, the program reported that 28,109 patients received opioid use disorder treatment services, 6,713 received stimulant disorder treatment, 24,274 received recovery support services, and 14,090 new patients started medications for opioid treatment. An estimated 164,349 individuals, including 11,029 school-aged youth, received prevention education.
The funding comes from a State Opioid Response (SOR) IV grant awarded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. California has also pursued other strategies to address opioid deaths, including offering lower-cost naloxone through CalRx, providing free naloxone kits that have reversed over 460,000 overdoses, and requiring treatment facilities to offer or refer patients to medication-assisted treatment.