Mayor Sarno and Health & Human Services Commissioner Caulton Harris announce Springfield’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Grant Program Guidelines

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton Harris announced today the city’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund grant program guidelines.

The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) was established in 2020 to receive and administer funds from certain legal settlements relating to allegations brought against companies in connection with the opioid crisis. Over the next 15 years, Springfield Department of Health and Human Services (SDHHS) will receive approximately $7,000,000 settlement funds to be used for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.

The goal of the city and SDHHS is to use Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) investments to improve pathways to treatment, care, and recovery services for People With Lived or Living Experiences (PWLLE) by building capacity of community-based organizations, particularly those based in communities that are historically underserved and have experienced a disproportionately high rate of opioid- related overdose deaths. ORRF investments will be used to level the playing field for community organizations, catalyze pilot programs, evaluate innovative approaches and treatment, and diversify the pool of providers available to fight the challenge of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) crisis throughout the City of Springfield.

The Springfield Department of Health and Human Services is investing ORRF to build system capacity and assets by closing gaps in the OUD ecosystem and improving linkages across community care systems to foster a longer-term comprehensive continuum of care model of addiction. Recovery often occurs along different pathways and PWLLE will use one or more assisted pathways (such as mutual aid groups, medical treatment, recovery support services, medication, etc.). The SDHHS and multiple stakeholders determined, through a six-month community input and priority-setting process, that treatment and recovery support would be more effective when delivered through well-coordinated services and collaborative approaches across sectors.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is designed to make it easier for PWLLE to begin and complete their recovery journey by closing gaps in the ecosystem, increasing accountability across sectors for transitions in care, and creating strategic learning opportunities to deepen and build grantee organizational and community capacity. The full ORRF Grant Program Guidelines are available on the city’s website: https://www.springfield-ma.gov/hhs/fileadmin/health/ORRF/SDHHS_ORRF_Grant_Guidelines_and_RFP.pdf

Funding Available

The proposed “Closing the Gaps” grants offer a unique opportunity for communities to bolster their capacity to address the overdose crisis through strong community collaboration and to expand interventions that have proven to save lives. Three-year funding is available across two phases (1) One-Year Demonstration Period: $300,000 - $500,000 dollars to be awarded in 2025 for planning and design and pilot testing solutions; (2) Full Implementation Grants: $500,000 - $700,000 will be awarded to successful demonstration projects for a two-year period, 2026 and 2027.

Who is Eligible to Apply

• Community-based Nonprofit Organizations

SDHHS seeks to award ORRF funds to local nonprofit organizations that work on any aspect of the care continuum, from prevention to recovery, and that collaborate with communities and populations that are diverse, historically underserved, and have experienced a higher rate of opioid-related overdose deaths.

• Coalitions

Organizations are encouraged to pool resources and can apply together as a Collaborative, although one organization must be designated as the lead applicant. Organizations applying as a Collaborative must submit a joint letter signed by each participating organization illustrating the shared commitment.

Application Process & Timeline

If your project meets the guidelines, we invite you to complete an application and submit it by SDHHS ORRF GRANT GUIDELINES 7 of 15 11:59 pm EST on December 30, 2024. The full guidelines are available in this document or here on the city’s website.

Questions are highly encouraged and should be submitted to Justin Chellman, jchellman@springfieldcityhall.com, (413)787-6724), SDHHS will post answers to submitted questions. All questions will be posted anonymously. SDHHS may contact applicants for additional information or clarification if needed during the review process. SDHHS is committed to providing ample technical assistance and support during the application process.