Partnering with Milwaukee Leaders to Expand Access to Opioid Treatment Programs on the North Side
Community Medical Services opened its Capitol Drive clinic to bring low-barrier, evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment closer to the people and neighborhoods that need it most. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee Fire Department Chief Lipski agree: CMS is building a coordinated city-level response to the opioid crisis.
The CMS Milwaukee on Capitol clinic is located at 7600 W. Capitol Drive and offers same-day treatment, walk-ins, medications for opioid use disorder, counseling, and peer support.
The Challenge
A Crisis No City Can Solve Alone
The opioid crisis is complex, urgent, and deeply local. It affects individuals and families, but it also touches emergency response, public safety, housing stability, courts, re-entry systems, hospitals, and neighborhoods.
As Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson shared in his message of support: “We know that no single organization can solve this crisis alone. Public health, public safety, health care providers and community organizations… everybody’s got to work together, to make sure that we have progress on this.”
That belief is at the center of CMS’s work in Milwaukee. Since opening its first Wisconsin clinic in West Allis in 2019, CMS has worked alongside city, county, municipal, and community partners to expand access to evidence-based care and address the broader consequences of opioid use disorder.
The Opportunity
Expanding Access on Milwaukee’s North Side
With the opening of the Capitol Drive clinic, CMS is expanding access to treatment in Milwaukee’s north side communities. The clinic provides a nearby access point for people seeking help with opioid use disorder, including treatment for heroin and fentanyl use, through a combination of medication-assisted treatment, counseling, and peer support.
CMS designed the Capitol Drive clinic to meet people where they are: with walk-ins welcome, same-day treatment options, and a judgment-free model of care.
A Partner Cities Can Rely On
Cities face real and urgent challenges related to opioid use disorder. Emergency response teams carry the burden of repeat overdose calls. Public health leaders need scalable interventions. Courts and probation systems need trusted treatment pathways. Families need hope. Individuals need care without judgment.
CMS Brings
- Experience partnering with public safety and public health
- Community-based care designed around dignity and respect
- Low-barrier access to treatment
- Same-day intakes and walk-ins
- MOUD, counseling, and peer support
- A growing Wisconsin footprint to support regional access
The Capitol Drive clinic is more than a new location.
It is part of a broader city-level response; one built on partnership, evidence-based treatment, and the shared belief that progress is possible when communities work together.
What City Leaders Are Saying
Mayor Cavalier Johnson voiced support for the new Capitol Drive clinic and for the collaborative model needed to respond to overdoses on Milwaukee’s north side:
“CMS has been at the forefront of building strong partnerships with Milwaukee Fire, Milwaukee Police, the Milwaukee Health Department, and system partners in order to combat this crisis. Medications for opioid use disorder is evidence-based treatment; it reduces overdose deaths, stabilizes lives and supports long-term recovery, because addiction is a medical condition and it deserves medical care.”
Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski also described CMS as a critical partner in supporting the community and emergency response systems:
“Our firefighters and EMS teams are often the first on the scene during overdoses and substance-related emergencies. Having a trusted partner like CMS means we can connect individuals to treatment and recovery resources instead of seeing the same cycles repeat. What sets CMS apart is their ability to respond quickly, coordinate care effectively, and approach every individual with dignity and compassion.”
Cassandra Torres, Community Outreach Specialist with the City of Milwaukee Health Department explained how CMS’ compassionate, critical care helps their residents:
“At the City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD), we are committed to advancing equitable, compassionate care. Our partnership with Community Medical Services (CMS) helps people who use drugs have access to medication-assisted treatment. The combination of these services and supplies meets people where they are, to promote and encourage any positive change. Together, we aim to reduce overdose risk, improve health outcomes, and support individuals on their path to recovery with dignity and respect.”
A Proven Model for City-Level Partnership
CMS’s work in Milwaukee is built around collaboration with public health, public safety, and community systems. CMS fosters ongoing partnerships with:
- Milwaukee Fire Department
- Milwaukee Police Department
- Milwaukee Health Department
- Courts, probation systems, and other system partners
Together, these partnerships help create more points of connection to treatment, whether someone encounters the system through emergency response, public safety, health care, re-entry, court coordination, or a community referral.
How CMS Supports Milwaukee’s Coordinated Response
CMS brings more than treatment capacity. It brings a partnership model designed to help cities respond to the full impact of opioid use disorder.
Evidence-Based Medical Treatment
Medication for opioid use disorder is an evidence-based approach associated with reduced risk of overdose and overall mortality. FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder include buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone.
CMS provides medications for opioid use disorder alongside counseling, peer support, and individualized treatment planning at all Wisconsin clinics, including at its Capitol Drive location.
Peer Support That Builds Trust
Peer support is a core part of the CMS care model. CMS’s Capitol Drive clinic offers counseling and peer support services, and our certified peer support specialists are essential to bridging gaps in care, building trust, and inspiring hope. We strive to have at least one peer at all clinics, when possible.
Chief Lipski also highlighted CMS’s role in providing peer support specialists for the Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative team, noting that their lived experience helps engage individuals who may otherwise be hesitant to seek help.
Frontline Coordination with First Responders
For fire, EMS, and other public safety teams, opioid-related emergencies can become a repeating cycle when people are revived but not connected to ongoing care. CMS helps create a pathway from emergency response to treatment and recovery resources.
Support Across Systems
CMS’s Milwaukee partnerships extend across emergency services, public health, public safety, courts, probation, re-entry, family and treatment court coordination, naloxone distribution, and services for unhoused individuals. This ensures everyone has access to treatment and support.
The Impact
A Stronger Care Network Across Wisconsin
CMS opened its first Wisconsin clinic in West Allis in April 2019. Today, CMS operates six Wisconsin clinics, including Milwaukee on Capitol, Milwaukee on Chase, Madison, West Allis, South Milwaukee, and Fond du Lac.
Why This Model Matters
Opioid use disorder is a medical condition. It deserves medical care, compassionate engagement, and coordinated community support.
When cities, first responders, public health leaders, and treatment providers work together, more people can be connected to care at the moments when help is most needed. CDC guidance recognizes medications for opioid use disorder as an evidence-based treatment approach and notes that MOUD has been associated with reduced risk of overdose and overall mortality.
CMS’s role in Milwaukee is to help make that care accessible, coordinated, and grounded in dignity.
