Louisville City Wire

On October 30, the Louisville Opioid Settlement Distribution Advisory Board released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the second round of grants from opioid settlement funds. Organizations serving Louisville and Jefferson County residents are invited to apply, particularly organizations providing:

• Prevention strategies and services, including primary youth prevention,
• Treatment and long-term recovery support,
• Housing and comprehensive wrap-around services for people experiencing homelessness to support them in treatment and recovery.

"We invite proposals from organizations who want to develop, implement, expand or enhance programs that will lead to preventing youth from experimenting or using opioids, help more people get connected to harm reduction services and treatment, and help individuals sustain long-term recovery,” said Dr. Inder Singal, co-chair of the advisory board and interim medical director for the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. Funds will be awarded to applicants who submit competitive proposals that align with the approved uses for the settlement and the Principle for the Use of Funds from the Opioid Litigation published by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Proposals should:

• Be evidence based or evidence informed.
• Include data that supports the need for the project and a thorough project description.
• Have detailed information about the population to be served, particularly populations in underserved areas.
• Demonstrate the applicant’s knowledge of and relationship with the population to be served by the project.
• Demonstrate how the proposal aligns with local priorities and community-identified needs.
• Metrics to gauge success as well as a plan for sustainability.

"Our goal is to increase opportunities for everyone to live their healthiest life and reach their full human potential,” said Connie Mendel, co-chair of the advisory board and interim chief health strategist. “Our first round of funding focused on organizations and strategies that would immediately save lives. With this second round of funding, we are looking forward to reviewing proposals with innovative and evidence-based solutions for substance use prevention, and addressing the needs of people who experience the greatest barriers to accessing treatment and recovery services.” 

The deadline for submitting applications is 3 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2023. The RFA can be found at the Louisville Office of Management and Budget procurement portal. Interested applicants are invited to ask questions about the RFA in a virtual meeting that will be held at 2 p.m. on Nov. 6. Instructions on how to access the meeting will be on the application. 

The Advisory Board will review and score proposals and anticipates making recommendations for approval to the Mayor and Metro Council in December. 

For more information about Louisville’s opioid settlement and the Opioid Settlement Advisory Board and its work, visit, https://louisvilleky.gov/government/health-wellness/louisville-opioid-settlement.

Original source can be found here.