Recovery advocates and clients urge supervisors to keep First Step detox funding

Multiple residents and people with lived experience of substance use disorders urged supervisors at the Oct. 27 hearing not to defund First Step detox services in the 2026 budget.

Speakers, including clients who credited First Step with their recovery, described the program as a vital connection to treatment. “When I first walked in to First Step, I was addicted to heroin and cocaine. First Step saved my life,” said Ronald Grant, an outreach worker. John Gentry, a recent client, said he completed detox, entered treatment and transitioned to supportive housing through First Step and asked supervisors to keep the doors open for others.

Other advocates described the rising toll of fentanyl and the need for accessible, local detox capacity. “With the rising problematic of fentanyl in the streets of Milwaukee and how it is killing our people, I feel that it is very important for there to be a detox center,” said Adam Threlkeld, who described his own recovery path.

Ending: Speakers asked the board to reconsider any cuts to detox and treatment referral services and to preserve local capacity that connects people to longer‑term treatment.