The Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission is now accepting grant applications.
The Commission was created to address Delaware’s opioid epidemic by distributing grants to organizations working to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use disorder, and the misuse of opioids.
And it is now ready to start awarding money. The fund has approximately $3 million for this initial round, and offering grants of up to $100,000
But Opioid Fund Program Manager Susan Holloway says it will be an ongoing initiative.
“There will be another 13 million, approximately 13 million dollars, coming online within the early, early parts of 2023. The minute that money is available we will have phase 1B. The process will be the same, but the amount of money people will be able to request is a little more.”
Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long is co-chair of the Commission. She says given the severity of the opioid epidemic, they realize it will take time for these efforts to bear fruit.
“But what we should be able to see is an improvement in our wraparound services, our support services,” said Hall-Long. “We should absolutely see an improvement in access to lifesaving harm reduction drugs such as narcan. And working collectively with state agencies, if we’re able to put in place better wraparound services, we should make it easier for individuals and families to get services when they need it and how they need it.”
Holloway adds any type of organization, including non-profit, for profit, faith-based, and state agency, can apply for grants- helping to increase the different types of services offered.
“It really is an all-hands-on-deck situation right now. And the beauty of this fund is that we can actually approach it from a request for creative ideas like an RFI as opposed to an RFP, so it’s wide open for anyone. And recognizing that not all communities are the same- it’s nice to be able to have the people throughout the community organizations, throughout the community nonprofits, be able to present what they can offer to help with abatement and remediation,” Holloway explained. “And this is different from other funds that may have restrictions- we don’t have restrictions- so we’re able to be as creative, flexible, and nimble as we need to be in coming up with a solution to the crisis.”
Eligible organizations must use money from the fund for the purpose of one or more of these focus points: opioid addiction prevention, providing opioid addiction services in the form of inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, treating substance use disorder for the underinsured and uninsured, providing emergency assistance relating to prescription opioids (including purchasing pharmaceuticals used to reverse the effect of an opioid overdose), peer support programs, and/or working to address adverse social determinants of health which act as a barrier to recovery, including family support services.
Hall-Long emphasized the importance of working with and through the community in addressing the epidemic, recognizing the impact the epidemic has had on historically underrepresented communities across the state.
“We’ll be in the grassroots working through the community. We all know that Brown and Black communities in particular have suffered disproportionately when it comes to having access to all services, we saw that during COVID,” said Hall-Long.
The Prescription Opioid Settlement Fund uses settlement money from the Delaware Attorney General’s Office’s ongoing legal battles with pharmaceutical companies that have negatively contributed to the state’s opioid crisis.
“I’m proud of the work that my office has done to hold Big Pharma accountable and to secure significant funds to combat the opioid crisis in Delaware — but securing money is only half the battle,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a statement. “The Commission is more than a steward of a precious public resource; it is a voice for the people of Delaware, who have paid the real price of the opioid crisis.”
Applications for this round of funding will be open until December 31, 2022, and can be found on the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission website.