Deadline: 8-Aug-24
The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) released a request for proposals (RFP) for its Opioid Crisis Innovation Challenge 2024.
FORE will provide grant support for specific projects that bring an innovative approach to long-standing and complex issues related to all aspects of stemming the tide of the nation’s opioid crisis. This RFP targets projects which can explore and/or evaluate new “outside-the-box” ideas, bring together approaches from several diverse fields, and engage multidisciplinary, cross-sector teams to solve some of the crisis’ most intractable problems. Currently, this opportunity will focus on projects in the following three areas which, based on discussions with experts in the field, are widely recognized challenges to adequately address the opioid and overdose crisis with few examples of how to approach differently to accelerate improvements in reducing overdoses, increase access to treatment, and support long-term recovery:
- Innovative Payment Models. While federal policy changes have worked towards increasing the accessibility and affordability of evidence-based OUD treatment, evidence continues to show that people with and without health coverage continue to face payment barriers, including benefit limits and high out-of-pocket costs, when trying to access care. Current payment models rarely align with the full range of services -which may include addiction and non-addiction health care and psychosocial care – a person may need to achieve a successful health outcome. Projects in this focus area may include creation and/or evaluation of payment models for improving access to all aspects of an individual’s treatment plan, development of quality measures to assess value of care, and/or analysis of policy issues, such as parity for SUD care or disparities in treatment reimbursement. Projects may focus on public or private payers, or both. Projects may also address payment and reimbursement barriers for the other two RFP focus areas below, workforce development and supporting the transition to recovery.
- Workforce Development. The nation continues to face a growing shortage of addiction and behavioral health care professionals, including treatment providers, clinical social workers, and peer support specialists. This shortage has severely limited access to treatment and recovery services, particularly for rural and underserved communities. Projects in this focus area may include programmatic and policy work to expand and sustain the addiction and behavioral health care workforce pipeline, to deploy the current workforce in more strategic and impactful ways, and/or to create new training opportunities for peers.
- Supporting the Transition from Treatment to Recovery. While much focus has been put on access to treatment, there is a great need to aid those transitioning from an initial focus on treatment to a more long-term recovery phase. Such transitions are often a time of increased vulnerabilities, which could trigger a return to use without supportive systems. Challenges during this period often include finding stable housing, employment, or managing family reunification, while maintaining treatment. Projects in this focus area may include, for example, the development of and access to effective recovery housing models, as well as other innovative ways to address barriers facing those transitioning to long-term recovery.
FORE prioritizes work which incorporates a focus on patient-centered solutions and on health equity, as well as reaching diverse high-risk populations, including adolescents and older populations, pregnant, parenting and postpartum people, and those with justice involvement.
Objectives
- FORE also assesses projects within a framework of meeting one or more of the overarching objectives of supporting:
- policy initiatives,
- professional education,
- payer and provider strategies, and
- public awareness.
Funding Information
- Applicants may apply for a grant of up to $300,000 a year for up to two years. Award amounts and project duration must align with the scope of work and the capabilities of the applying organization. Projects may be proposed for less than two years in duration but may not exceed these limits.
Who they Fund?
- Generally, FORE will consider grant requests for specific projects from U.S.-based public charities that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as from nonprofit, tax-exempt universities. The Foundation will also consider grant requests from state, local, and Native American tribal government units or agencies for specific charitable projects.
Who they do not Fund?
- FORE will not provide grants to Section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations, congregational religious organizations, or private individuals. General purpose grants and payments to individual government employees or officials are not permitted. The Foundation will not consider grant requests for fundraising events, non-profit and school sponsored athletic-related events, political advocacy and related activities, and endowment funds.
Eligibility Criteria
- They fund projects from nonprofit organizations, universities, and government agencies focused on health care professional education, payer & provider strategies, policy initiatives, and public awareness.
For more information, visit FORE.
