Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton Harris announced today the city’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Mini-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, the 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 Springfield Department of Health and Human Services is proud to introduce the ORRF Mini-Grant Program, designed to support community-based organizations across Springfield. The overarching goal of the Mini-Grant Program is to enhance and expand prevention initiatives that work upstream to reduce the prevalence of OUD while complementing ongoing harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. By focusing on prevention, we aim to:
- Reduce burdens on individuals and families, allowing people to remain employed, contribute to the economy, and support their loved ones.
- Strengthen the community’s social fabric by fostering positive social connections and creating supportive networks that build resilience.
- Engage youth and families where they live, learn, and play, helping young people avoid OUD and remain on a path toward a healthier, more successful future—ultimately strengthening the community’s human capital.
- Strengthen the opioid use disorder continuum from prevention to recovery.
Investing in neighborhood-focused services and neighborhood-based organizations ensures that prevention efforts reflect the unique needs, lived experiences, and cultures of the people they serve. This locality-based approach creates a foundation for more impactful and sustainable outcomes by meeting residents where they live, learn, work, and play.
The ORRF Mini-Grant Program focuses on CDBG-Eligible Block Group neighborhoods, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — areas with limited opportunities that require targeted investments in education, housing, economic development, and infrastructure. These targeted investments are essential to addressing the social and economic challenges that contribute to opioid use disorders and related disparities.
Funding Focus Areas:
Projects should target at least one of the following focus areas, which represent strategic investments to strengthen Springfield’s prevention to recovery ecosystem:
- People (Workforce Development): Strengthen the behavioral health workforce through training, recruitment, and retention of professionals and peer recovery specialists.
- Places (Built Environment): Improve or expand community spaces and facilities that support prevention, recovery, and overall community well-being.
- Things (Equipment and Facility Upgrades): Acquire tools, technology, or facility improvements to enhance service delivery, expand prevention capacity, and improve access to care.
- Activities (Social Environment): Develop and deliver programs or initiatives that provide support systems for families, youth, young adults, and caregivers impacted by the opioid crisis.
Who is Eligible to Apply:
To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Nonprofit Status: Be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, currently serving and committed to prioritizing residents in CDBG-Eligible Block Group neighborhoods.
- Program Capacity: Demonstrate the capacity to implement and manage programs related to opioid/substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, or recovery.
- Community Engagement: Show evidence of community engagement and a commitment to serving disproportionately affected populations.
- Data and Outcomes: Be willing and able to collect, track, and report program data and outcomes to SDHHS.
- Alignment with Strategic Focus Areas: Deliver primary and/or secondary prevention initiatives that align with at least one of the seven strategic focus areas outlined by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) guidance.
- Evidence-Informed Approach: Projects using evidence-based or evidence-informed models to address substance use and OUD prevention will receive priority consideration.
- Applicants must identify at least one primary target population for their project. While the main focus should be on this group, SDHHS recognizes that a holistic, systemic approach may also involve others connected to that population.
Ineligible Applicants:
Organizations currently receiving funding from the most recent SDHHS ORRF RFP (2024–2025) are not eligible to apply for this Mini-Grant Program.
Application Process & Timeline:
- The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued on Monday, October 27, 2025.
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The application will available on the HHS webpage: https://www.springfield-ma.gov/hhs/fileadmin/health/ORRF/Mini_Grants/Mini_Grant_RFP_-_FINAL.pdf
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- An optional Virtual Information Session will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. Visit the Health & Human Services webpage for the Zoom Link to join the session and more information: https://www.springfield-ma.gov/hhs/orrf
- Applications are due by Monday, December 8, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
- Funding decisions will be released on Friday, January 16, 2026.
Technical Assistance and Questions
- Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to Justin Chellman at JChellman@springfieldcityhall.com
- All questions and answers will be posted publicly on the SDHHS website: Springfield-MA.gov/HHS/ORRF
- The full Springfield Department of Health and Human Services Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Mini Grant Program Guidelines can be found on the SDHHS webpage at: https://www.springfield-ma.gov/hhs/orrf
