The First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act program was created to provide financial support for first responders and others who respond to known or suspected opioid overdoses. Grant funds are available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for training and resources related to administration of drugs and devices to reverse overdoses. Funds are specifically targeted toward communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.
A total of $17,200,000 is expected to be dispersed to approximately 34 grantees. Projects may last for up to four years and do not require a cost match. Applications are due through eRA Commons by March 14, 2023.
For the purposes of this grant, first responders are defined as emergency medical professionals, firefighters, law enforcement, and any other legally recognized volunteer groups trained to manage drug related incidents.
Eligibility
Applicants
State governments, local governments, and federally recognized Native American tribes and tribal organizations may apply for this grant. The maximum allowed grant request is dependent on the type of entity applying.
- Tribes/Tribal Organizations – $250,000 per year
- Local Governments – $500,000 per year
- State Governments – $800,000 per year
Communities
Applicants must be able to demonstrate that the community/ies they serve have been disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic. They recommend the following as potential data sources:
- National Survey on Drug Use
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research
- Urban–Rural Differences in Drug Overdose Death Rates, 1999–2019
- National Vital Statistics System
- Substance Use and SUDs in LGBTQ* Populations
If the applicant proposes a project in a rural area they must be able to demonstrate that it is officially designated as rural. Useful sources for doing so include:
- Frontier and Remote Area Codes
- Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes
- Defining Rural at the U.S. Census Bureau
Required Activities
All grantees are required to carry out the following activities.
- Purchase and distribute approved devices and drugs for emergency opioid overdose reversal.
- Train and support first responders in carrying and administering such devices and drugs as well as safety protocols for substances they may come in contact with.
- Train personnel in execution of evidence based, trauma-informed care practices
- Create processes for referring individuals to proper treatment for substance misuse disorder, etc.
- Draft a Naloxone Education and Distribution Plan and submit it in SPARS within six months of receiving award.
- Establish or join an advisory council.
- Hire staff from the community.
- Where applicable, translate all resources to make them accessible per the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care, standards 5-8.
- Implement policies for making services more accessible to marginalized communities.
- Devise conflict resolution processes in keeping with CLAS, standard 14.
Allowable Activities
Grant funds may, but are not required to be spent on additional activities such as
- Tobacco prevention programs
- Alcohol prevention programs
- Training on CLAS standards for behavioral health providers
- Addressing inequities in behavioral health access
- Public education on ‘Good Samaritan’ laws
- First aid and CPR training
- Support services for individuals with substance misuse disorder
Additionally, the amount that may be spent on certain activities is limited.
- Data collection, performance measurement, and performance assessment – up to 20%
- Development of infrastructure for service delivery – up to 15%
- Administrative costs – up to 10%
Intergovernmental Review Requirements
Under Executive Order 12372, certain states and territories have established their own State Single Point of Contact. Applicants in these jurisdictions will need to work with their SPOC. This does not apply to Native American tribes and tribal organizations.
