Arizona Deploys Settlement Funds: MOUD in Jails, New Residential Beds on the Way

Arizona is translating its $1.215 billion opioid settlement agreement into operational programs faster than most states — and two concrete developments this month show what that looks like on the ground.

Maricopa County is using settlement funds to expand medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in county jails. The program pays for clinical staff to initiate buprenorphine or methadone treatment during incarceration and then connect people to community providers at the point of release — the highest-risk moment for overdose for people with OUD who have been incarcerated. Evidence from other jurisdictions that have implemented jail-based MOUD consistently shows significant reductions in post-release overdose mortality.

AHCCCS — Arizona’s Medicaid agency — was required by state law to issue a request for proposals for secure behavioral health residential facilities by May 1, 2026. These facilities serve people with serious mental illness who are court-ordered to treatment after being assessed as chronically resistant to voluntary care. The RFP expands a category of care that has been chronically undersupplied in Arizona, which consistently ranks among the lowest states for behavioral health access.

Context: AHCCCS allocated approximately $776 million toward SUD treatment services in 2024, and the agency explicitly ensures that people can access treatment without insurance — including those who are uninsured, waiting for Medicaid approval, or recently released from incarceration.

Why This Matters for People in Recovery

Arizona ranks 49th of 51 for behavioral health access. These programs represent meaningful steps toward closing that gap. If you or someone you know is in Arizona and looking for treatment, Rize Recovery’s tool shows real-time availability at facilities that accept AHCCCS. Find treatment in Arizona.