The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is accepting applications for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Implementation funding opportunity. FORHP plans to award approximately 50 three-year grants  Ì¶  of up to $1 million each  Ì¶  to multi-sector consortia working to enhance substance and opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery service delivery in rural communities.

Core prevention activities under the funding opportunity include identifying and screening individuals at risk for substance use disorder/opioid use disorder and co-occurring disorders/infectious complications (including HIV, viral hepatitis, mental illness, etc.), and providing, or making referrals to, prevention, harm reduction, early intervention, treatment, and other support services.

This is a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, in high-risk rural communities. Funding recipients will strengthen and expand substance use disorder/opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services to enhance rural residents’ ability to access treatment and move towards recovery. HRSA expects that services made possible by this funding opportunity will be provided both during and beyond the period of performance.

The awards are intended to help:

• individuals who are at risk for, have been diagnosed with, and/or are in treatment for and/or recovery from opioid use disorder.
• families and/or caregivers of affected individuals.
• other community members who reside in HRSA-designated rural areas, as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer.

In addition to these individuals, applicants are encouraged to give special consideration to rural populations that have historically suffered from poorer health outcomes or health disparities, compared to the rest of the rural population.

The primary focus of this award program is opioid use disorder, but the awards may help address related conditions such as infectious diseases. The opioid epidemic has led to an increase in people who inject drugs, which has increased the risk of transmission of viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) through shared equipment. Rural communities are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of HIV and HCV among people who inject drugs.

Details about this funding opportunity; eligibility; allowable HIV, HCV, and harm reduction services; and how to apply can be found on the HRSA website at: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Implementation.

The deadline for applications is January 13, 2022.