South Dakota has received a $7.8 million opioid settlement from pharmaceutical companies, with funds being distributed to organizations addressing the state’s addiction crisis. Grant recipients are focused on breaking stigma around opioid use disorder and expanding access to comprehensive care in both urban and rural areas.
The Center for Family Medicine in Sioux Falls received a $750,000 grant to add a position focused on providing medication for opioid use treatment. The clinic incorporates addiction medicine into its family primary care services, with physician Dr. Aaron Bergman noting that their approach is to “provide that whole person care.” He emphasized that “for some people, initiating these conversations about addiction with their primary care provider is a lot more doable than engaging in specialty addiction care right out of the gate.” The new position will equip physicians to provide opioid use disorder treatment in rural areas, expanding the clinic’s capacity to serve patients beyond traditional specialty addiction care settings. The Center also operates as a Residency Training Program for physicians.
Supporting Mothers with Substance Use Disorders
In the Rapid City area, West River Mental Health received a $186,000 grant to add a position that provides support services for mothers with opioid use disorder. The role includes scheduling appointments, managing payments, and providing transportation to care. As part of their Full Circle residential program, mothers with children 10 years and younger can stay for months during treatment. According to CEO Amy Iversen, “there can be a lot of barriers, especially for women with small children, to getting that care. That’s why our program exists—they can bring their children with them and have their baby as they continue treatment.” The program addresses critical barriers to prenatal care and continuity of treatment for mothers and their families.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.kotatv.com/2026/04/11/how-opioid-grant-recipients-are-planning-use-their-money/