Contact Information - OrganizationInitiativeAward AmountAward DescriptionIntroduction
Landmark multi-settlement agreements are holding opioid manufacturers, and distributors who downplayed the risk of opioid addiction accountable for their role in creating the opioid epidemic. The District of Columbia will receive more than $80 million over the next 18 years from these settlements to help address the effects of the epidemic. The opioid settlement agreements contain certain requirements to ensure the funds are used to abate the harm caused by the opioid crisis and to ensure compliance with the agreements.
The Office of Opioid Abatement within the Department of Behavioral Health was established by the Opioid Litigation Proceeds Amendment Act of 2022 to issue, manage, and oversee awards and grants from the Opioid Abatement Fund (Fund; § 7–3213). The Fund receives lump sum or series of payments over time, pursuant to settlement and trust-distribution agreement entered in from cases between the District of Columbia and various pharmaceutical companies (§ 7–3221).
Quarterly Spending Report
| Contact Information - Organization | Initiative | Award Amount | Award Description |
| A Little More Support | Peer Training | $250,453.73 | A Little More Support DC (ALMSDC) aims to significantly address die opioid crisis and enhance community resilience through the Innovative Peer-Led Strategies for Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in Washington DC" project. This initiative focuses on training and certifying peer recovery specialists and peer supervisors to support transitional age youth (TAY), Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and justice-impacted populations in Washington, DC. By leveraging culturally responsive training methodologies and robust partnerships, ALMSDC seeks to build a skilled workforce dedicated to supporting individuals in recovery and improving health outcomes for underserved communities. |
| Anacostia Coordinating Council | Treatment | $444,907.11 | The Transformers Rite of Passage program is designed to address the needs of adolescents as they desire to assume adult roles and more independence. At this crucial developmental period, they are exposed to new ideas and behaviors through increased exposure beyond those experienced in childhood. It is an of experimentation, but it is also when interventions can reinforce or alter earlier experiences. “This is also when significant changes are occurring in the brain also creates a potentially vulnerable for poorly thought-out decisions and involvement in potentially harmful behaviors, such as risky sexual behaviors, smoking of tobacco, consumption of alcohol, risky driving behaviors and drug use.”2 The primary objective of this drug abuse prevention intervention is to help young people to avoid or delay initiation into the use of drugs, or, if they have started already, to avoid developing disorders and other negative consequences. Prevention also has a broader purpose, which is to support the development of children and youth, enabling them to realize their talents and potential (UNODC, 2013).3 |
| Bridging Resources in Communities (BRIC) | Youth Prevention Leadership Corps Expansion | $125,000 | The DCPCs coordinate and host the YPLC, a youth-led and adult-supported program that equips district youth with the skills they need to positively impact their communities to be drug-free. This is primarily accomplished through: • Training in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing substance misuse and related behavioral health problems. • Understanding how to report on and address local neighborhood substance use related conditions. • Developing action plans and logic models to address local conditions and implement strategies create community change. Within the DC Prevention Centers, there was growing desire to support the YPLC participants with additional professional development and prevention leadership skills. Through a series of planning meetings with Prevention Center staff and SUD Prevention branch staff, a multi-tiered youth development expansion to the current youth prevention leadership corps format, the Youth Prevention Leader Certification, was created. |
| CenterPoint Baptist Church | Faith-Based Prevention | $153,740 |
Empowering faith-based organizations; educating school personnel; CenterPoint Baptist Church will support the District to increase outreach and education around prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction and increase harm reduction education to families and communities, including naloxone distribution for those most affected. CenterPoint will maximize outreach and adapt evidence-based Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) and Overdose Lifeline curriculums to train target audience leaders who are connected to religious institutions, and to disseminate harm reduction tools, opioid prevention information and other resources to prevent fatalities and reduce risk of opioid misuse. |
| Children's National Medical Center | Youth Prevention Leadership Corps Expansion | $830,076 | The DCPCs coordinate and host the YPLC, a youth-led and adult-supported program that equips district youth with the skills they need to positively impact their communities to be drug-free. This is primarily accomplished through: • Training in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing substance misuse and related behavioral health problems. • Understanding how to report on and address local neighborhood substance use related conditions. • Developing action plans and logic models to address local conditions and implement strategies create community change. Within the DC Prevention Centers, there was growing desire to support the YPLC participants with additional professional development and prevention leadership skills. Through a series of planning meetings with Prevention Center staff and SUD Prevention branch staff, a multi-tiered youth development expansion to the current youth prevention leadership corps format, the Youth Prevention Leader Certification, was created. |
| Community Bridges | Harm Reduction | $289,659.77 | Community Bridges, Inc. will provide a targeted outreach program to provide wraparound services to those with opioid use disorders and who experience homelessness as a result. Services will be available from 8 am – 4 pm Monday through Friday all year round, responding to referrals from community members, police, FEMS, and the DC Stabilization Center. Community Bridges, Inc. will also target hot spots and spikes as determined by city officials. Outreach will consist of rapport-building, engagement with naloxone bags, and provision of connections to services, among others. |
| Community Family Life Services | Drop-In Center | $336,362.42 | This initiative seeks to combine a peer-based organization with the drop-in center model to provide basic harm reductions services to individuals with OUD and other SUDs. The services for individuals who actively experience substance use may include (but are not limited to): 1) Harm-reduction for substance use by incorporating overdose prevention and legally permissible harm reduction efforts into existing services; 2) Linkage to care and case management systems; 3) Access to free healthcare such as wound care, Hepatitis C/HIV testing and reproductive healthcare; 4) Referrals to substance use disorder level of care assessments, treatment, including MOUD and behavior health resources; 5) Peer support services; 6) and survival resources such as shelter and warmth or cooling. |
| CompuRecycling Center, Inc. | Harm Reduction | $176,578.22 | Leveraging the success of Medical Ascension, CompuRecycling Center, Incorporated (CRC) will activate 35 Medical Ascension Youth as 35 Medical Ascension: Level Up Against Opioid Epidemic Leaders for their peers, near-peers, community members, and family members. Through a multi-tiered framework that leverages youth leadership and authentic youth engagement, CRC’s Medical Ascension: Level Up Leaders will engage their peers, near-peers, family members, and community members in prevention, awareness, and education activities in efforts to reduce opioid overdose-related deaths. The intended outcomes for the Medical Ascension: Level Up Against Opioid Epidemic Leaders project are 1) improve knowledge of opioid abuse 2) reduce risk factors and increase protective factors and 3) change perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors to reduce opioid misuse. |
| DC Recovery Community Alliance | Peer Operating Centers Enhancement | $125,000 | Develop and implement outreach platforms to raise awareness about OUD and the available behavioral health resources. Train Peers in the use of Narcan, recovery support, C-CAR, care coordination and harm reduction, mental health CPR. |
| Deeds of Kindness | Drop-In Center | $366,324 | Deeds of Kindness Outreach Services will provide outreach, engagement and referral services to individuals with opioid use disorder, targeting unsheltered individuals and African American men ages 45 to 54 years of age. These services will be conducted by substance use peers where outreach will help to promote and guide the target population to a drop-in center where individuals can receive further peer support and mentoring, in addition to access other services such as harm reduction and specialized workshops (entrepreneurship, self-awareness, physical fitness, nutritious food demonstrations, etc.). |
| Dreamers and Achievers Cneter, Inc. | Peer Operating Centers Enhancement | $125,000 | The Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Behavioral Health, Adult Services Administration, Office of Opioid Abatement is providing funds to the DC Peer Operated Centers (POCs) to expand services. The Live. Long. DC. Plan 3.0 strategy RE.1 is to “Increase the presence of peer support groups/programs throughout the community for individuals in recovery and monitor the quality and effectiveness of programming.” In addition, the strategy RE.2 is to “Explore implementing community forums or mechanisms for individuals to discuss their road to recovery.” To achieve both these strategies and the overarching goal of ensuring equitable and timely access to high-quality substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services, the Office of Opioid Abatement will make the Opioid Abatement Fund available to enhance the peer recovery supportive services in an effort to increase access to OUD treatment and improve care coordination through Peer-Operated Centers (POC). |
| Family Medical Counseling Services | Targeted Outreach | $200,000 | The District of Columbia, Department of Behavioral Health seeks to establish a partnership between designated community-based organizations to implement targeted outreach and engagement programs for prevention, harm reduction, and referrals for treatment, and recovery. The purpose of this funding is intended to build on lessons learned from the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza community ecosystem demonstration and other recent place-based efforts. Funds will be used primarily to fund community-based organizations to implement dedicated and targeted outreach, engagement, and case management services to individuals who appear to have unmet behavioral health needs especially alcohol and opioid use disorders to include both housed and unhoused individuals. |
| Federal City Recovery Services (wait) | Treatment | $386,914.50 | Federal City (FC) is partnering with the District of Columbia to combat the opioid crisis and prevent youth overdose deaths. FC’s program approach focuses on harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services. FC aims to expand residential treatment and medication for opioid use disorder treatment for youth, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The model of care is structured, person-centered, and recovery-oriented. FC will provide services to youth experiencing an opioid use disorder. The individuals who are most impacted by the opioid crisis primarily reside in Wards 5, 7, and 8. The program’s goal is to assist the youth population in overcoming the barriers that may preclude them from being successful and transforming their lives. |
| FEMS | FEMS Overdose (Peer) Response Team | $499,049.11 |
As part of DBH and FEMS’ on-going partnership to serve District residents, the Parties have collaborated to create the Overdose Response Team (ORT) initiative. This initiative was started in the District’s comprehensive plan to reduce opioid use, misuse and related deaths called Live.Long.DC. and is funded by the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant (SOR Grant) and the Opioid Abatement Fund (the Fund). The Fund was established in 2022 by the Opioid Abatement Fund Establishment Act. The purpose of the SOR Grant is to address the opioid overdose crisis by providing resources to states and territories for increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD), and for supporting the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for opioid use disorder (OUD) and other concurrent substance use disorders. The SOR program also supports the continuum of care for stimulant misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine. The SOR program aims to help reduce unmet treatment needs and opioid-related overdose deaths across America. In the District of Columbia, the SOR Grant is administered by DBH. This agreement will support the existing DBH/FEMS Mobile Integrated Health Initiative, (Existing MOU) by funding a 9-1-1 response-capable paramedic buprenorphine induction program, and community outreach activities in support of OUD harm reduction and service connection. This agreement will augment the existing DBH/FEMS Mobile Integrated Health Initiative, (Existing MOU) by funding two (2) Advanced Practice Provider (APP) FTEs, one (1) case worker FTE, two (2) Community Outreach Specialist FTEs, and ongoing funding for expanding and maintaining the previously developed infrastructure to accommodate this augmentation. |
| HIPS | Drop-In Center | $232,233.94 | This initiative seeks to combine a peer-based organization with the drop-in center model to provide basic harm reductions services to individuals with OUD and other SUDs. The services for individuals who actively experience substance use may include (but are not limited to): 1) Harm-reduction for substance use by incorporating overdose prevention and legally permissible harm reduction efforts into existing services: 2) Linkage to care and case management systems; 3) Access to free healthcare such as wound care, Hepatitis C/HIV testing and reproductive healthcare; 4) Referrals to substance use disorder level of care assessments, treatment, including MOUD and behavior health resources; 5) Peer support services; 6) and survival resources such as shelter and warmth or cooling. |
| Holy Comforter - St. Cyprian Community Action Group | Harm Reduction | $727,181.20 | Community Action Group (CAG) will implement an education, prevention, and harm-reduction program in wards 6 & 7. This program will focus on providing community education and harm reduction techniques to decrease the incidence of substance use disorder in youth, individuals, and families in the District of Columbia. CAG will establish an adult community education program with a specific focus on gender identity and LGBTQ+ identified persons that addresses the complexity of their experience with substance use disorder. These underserved and under-resourced populations will also receive quality, culturally relevant treatment. CAG will provide a continuum of care for these clients, support the youth in their work by empowering them to engage with and educate their peers and other CAG clients. CAG will ensure all staff is trained on evidence-based practices that support harm-reduction, prevention, education, intervention, and treatment. |
| Latin American Youth Center | Youth Prevention Leadership Corps Expansion | $125,000 | The DCPCs coordinate and host the YPLC, a youth-led and adult-supported program that equips district youth with the skills they need to positively impact their communities to be drug-free. This is primarily accomplished through: • Training in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing substance misuse and related behavioral health problems. • Understanding how to report on and address local neighborhood substance use related conditions. • Developing action plans and logic models to address local conditions and implement strategies create community change. Within the DC Prevention Centers, there was growing desire to support the YPLC participants with additional professional development and prevention leadership skills. Through a series of planning meetings with Prevention Center staff and SUD Prevention branch staff, a multi-tiered youth development expansion to the current youth prevention leadership corps format, the Youth Prevention Leader Certification, was created. |
| Harigold Health (Beacon Tech Inc.) | Drop-In Center | $300,330.43 | Marigold Health will provide DC residents with 24/7 access to high-quality peer support while also developing the District’s peer workforce. The funded grant program will provide a path to expand access to peer recovery support, tailored to meet the needs of diverse and vulnerable individuals across Washington DC. The program will also expand the role of peers in the treatment and recovery system by combining traditional coaching from certified peers with on-demand access to a drop-in recovery community through the Marigold Health app. Participants will receive and provide mutual support in anonymous groups overseen by a certified peer to obtain and provide mutual support in anonymous groups overseen by a certified peer. Marigold will use a patented natural language processing system to provide continuous monitoring and alert a multi-state peer team if a member is in crisis or could benefit from 1-1 support. Finally, members will also have access to self-directed recovery tools, including a holistic wellness plan and Recovery Capital assessments, which can be shared with other agencies with member consent. |
| Matthews Memorial Church | Faith-Baised Prevention | $331,560.14 | The purpose of the District of Columbia Opioid Response (DCOR) Faith-Based Grant is to contribute to the District’s opioid response strategy. Matthew’s Memorial Baptist Church will support the District to increase outreach and education around prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction and increase harm reduction education to families and communities, including naloxone distribution for those most affected. Matthew’s Memorial will maximize outreach by training leaders in the Be Strong Parent and Recovery Cafés who are connected to religious institutions, and to disseminate harm reduction tools, opioid prevention information and other resources to prevent fatalities and reduce risk of opioid misuse. |
| Medical Home Development, Inc. | Peer Training | $246,375 | Medical Home Development Group’s (MHDG) grant proposal will establish The DC HUB for Peer Workforce Development Project to support Peer Apprentices, and the Providers and Clients served with Substance Use Disorders (SUD). All SUD Provider’s new hires and incumbent staff are eligible for apprentice training and certification and will be trained free of charge to the employer and employee. MHDG’s project will involve recruiting, onboarding, engaging, training, and managing Peers and the SUD providers they are assigned to. The intended outcome is to: 1. Expand Peer DC candidate pool 2. Enhance Peer Support Specialist Retention- New Hires and Incumbent Employees 3. Supports Career Ladder and Education Center for Staff Development 4. Patient/Client retention in SUD services and treatment to increase the probability and longevity of recovery thus reducing overdoses and deaths in DC. Through the collaborative efforts of the Program Coordinator, and Lead Peer Specialist, MHDG’s Peer Worksite Development Project will provide valuable support and resources to individuals with SUD, empowering them to achieve recovery and sustainable employment. With a strong focus on recruitment, training, employment, and ongoing support, MDHG aims to create a supportive and inclusive workplace environment where both providers and peers can thrive. |
| MedStar Health Research Institute | Treatment | 246.884.91 | MedStar Health will expand two initiatives to support individuals with substance use disorder (SUD)–the emergency department medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) Bridge program and Mother Baby-Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program–to MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH). The (SBIRT) program is the foundation of MedStar Health’s substance use response, connecting patients with MOUD and changing providers’ perspectives on treatment for individuals with SUD. The proposed MOUD Bridge expansion will leverage the recent regulatory changes that eliminated the requirement for providers to receive a waiver or training to prescribe MOUD. The changes, combined with shifting provider perspectives toward normalizing SUD treatment, will allow a greater number of patients to receive treatment in the emergency department. Both hospitals will also launch the Mother Baby SBIRT program for pregnant and postpartum individuals with SUD. OB/GYN staff will screen individuals for substance use at prenatal care appointments/inpatient stays. If patients screen positive, staff will refer them to Project HEART, and connect them with an OB peer recovery coach (OB PRC) |
| National Capital Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking (NCCPUD) | Youth Prevention Leaerdship Corps Expansion | $125,000 | The Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Behavioral Health, Adult Services Administration, Office of Opioid Abatement is providing funds to the DC Prevention Centers (DCPCs) to expand services. This particular funding opportunity is supported by the Opioid Abatement Fund (Fund) to expand DCPC Youth Prevention Leadership Corps (YPLC) initiatives. A key goal of both the Commission and Office is to broaden the number of youths recruited and trained to support the prevention and harm-reduction workforce in the District through the provision of prevention, treatment, and RSS to individuals with OUD. The purpose of this grant competition is to expand the work of the Youth Prevention Leadership Corps by providing the Youth Prevention Leadership Certification program, a multi-tiered approach to youth development and community prevention leadership. Through this certification program, we hope to expand youth perspective of their role in the community, enhance substance prevention knowledge and leadership, cultivate development/life skills acquired through formal education as well as the experience of being a resident in the District of Columbia, and create a positive outlet for self-expression. At the culmination of this experience, youth participants will be presented with a Youth SUD Prevention Leader certificate, acknowledging their completion of all requirements for the certification. |
| OCME | Illicit Drug Surveillance | $400,000 | The Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission for the District of Columbia (“Commission”) wants to use the Opioid Abatement Fund to have a meaningful impact in addressing the opioid crisis in the District. the Commission has determined that allocating funds to OCME will advance the District’s efforts in combating substance use disorder and promoting behavioral health services. To that end, the commission has requested that DBH allocate $400,000 to OCME to sustain the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s (“OCME”) forensic toxicology testing capabilities and to develop innovative forensic testing methods. This testing provides crucial data on suspected opioid-related fatalities, which is included in the OCME’s monthly surveillance reports. It includes the analysis of tissue, blood, and other samples from persons suspected to have died from an opioid overdose. OCME has previously funded this work with a federal grant that was not rewarded for FY2025. Without this work, we will be unable to fully understand the role of opioids and other toxic substances in District fatalities. |
| Octane Public Relations | Prevention Media Campaign | $500,000 |
The Opioid Advisory Commission (Commission), and the Office of Opioid Abatement (OOA) manages the Opioid Abatement Fund (Fund) that is used to support the District’s efforts to curb the opioid epidemic and mitigate its effects. The Commission is responsible for making recommendations to the Mayor and the Council on how to appropriately use the Fund and District-wide goals, objectives, and performance indicators relating to opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. The Commission recommended the implementation of a media campaign primarily directed toward people and communities impacted by opioid use disorders (OUD) . Octane Public Relations & Advertising has been contracted to create and implement a media campaign to spread awareness of signs of OUD, available resources, and other related information necessary to support individuals and communities who are struggling with the impacts of OUDs would help educate the public. Goals: The goals of the campaign are to: |
| RAP, Inc. | Treatment | $39,694.94 | RAP, Inc. will pilot walk-in hours for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) services at the agency’s Behavioral Health Administration (BHA)-certified outpatient treatment program, to include assessments, prescriptions, medication induction, and medication maintenance. RAP will also provide in-depth training on opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment; American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) levels of care criteria; and cultural competence in healthcare to the agency’s medical, clinical, and client-facing staff. RAP will increase MOUD education, access, and engagement among eligible individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), elevate the overall quality of treatment services available at RAP Inc., and improve workforce retention rates. RAP, Inc. primarily serves low-income and historically underserved populations, including women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and members of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, with a particular focus on addressing behavioral healthcare disparities for residents of Wards 5, 7, and 8, |
| Red Sprinkle | Peer Training | $100,000 | The Sober & Chic initiative, led by Red Sprinkle, tackles opioid use disorder (OUD) among youth in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC. The program empowers youth with evidence-based Peer Training and leadership development, focusing on culturally responsive service delivery. Key activities include comprehensive training and certification programs from Jordan Peer Recovery, covering the 50-hour Core Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) curriculum, the 16-hour ASK Model Curriculum, and the 24-hour Family Peer Recovery specialty course. Participants will also complete the Recovery Specialist Employability Score (RSES) Assessment for individualized Professional Development Plans. Leadership workshops and community projects will further engage youth and strengthen community support systems. |
| Reynolds & Associates, Inc. | Transitional Housing | $237,923.19 | Reynolds & Associates (R&A) will provide 10 abstinence-based housing with wrap-around services for female DC residents who are reentering their community. Housing services will include 24-hour house staff, dorm-style living, nutritional support, access to community support, substance use disorder counseling services, and life skills. Services have been created to assist in addressing the opioid epidemic in the District. |
| Samaritan Inns, Inc. | Transitional Housing | $305,640 | Samaritan Inns (SI) is planning to expand its transitional housing program for Opioid Use Disorder OUD/StUD residents to build upon the foundation they receive in Level 3.1 and 3.5 SUD residential treatment and increase collaborative partnerships to enhance client success for sustained recovery. Samaritan Inn is repurposing 125 Single Resident Occupancy (SRO) beds in its Long Term Recovery Program (LTRP). Clients eligible for these transitional housing beds will be OUD/StUD clients who complete residential SUD treatment. They will be able to build on their recovery and step down to the LTRP with individual rooms and shared living space. The seamless transition from one program to another in SI's continuum provides stability, predictability, and consistency for the clients in this city of fragmented behavioral health services. Samaritan Inns is committed to carry out its mission statement to, "create an atmosphere of accountability and support that empowers the clients to achieve lasting recovery and self-sufficiency." SI will provide transitional sober housing for clients who have completed 3-6 months of treatment. Clients will receive education and referrals for Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), attend Outpatient Treatment, 12-step meetings, and get a sponsor. |
| Sasha Bruce | Youth Prevention Leadership Corps Expansion | $125,000 | The Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Behavioral Health, Adult Services Administration, Office of Opioid Abatement is providing funds to the DC Prevention Centers (DCPCs) to expand services. This particular funding opportunity is supported by the Opioid Abatement Fund (Fund) to expand DCPC Youth Prevention Leadership Corps (YPLC) initiatives. A key goal of both the Commission and Office is to broaden the number of youths recruited and trained to support the prevention and harm-reduction workforce in the District through the provision of prevention, treatment, and RSS to individuals with OUD. The purpose of this grant competition is to expand the work of the Youth Prevention Leadership Corps by providing the Youth Prevention Leadership Certification program, a multi-tiered approach to youth development and community prevention leadership. Through this certification program, we hope to expand youth perspective of their role in the community, enhance substance prevention knowledge and leadership, cultivate development/life skills acquired through formal education as well as the experience of being a resident in the District of Columbia, and create a positive outlet for self-expression. At the culmination of this experience, youth participants will be presented with a Youth SUD Prevention Leader certificate, acknowledging their completion of all requirements for the certification. |
| SOME, Inc. (So Others Might Eat) | Transitional Housing | $914,358.83 | SOME proposed to expand its current Transitional Housing Program to a 6-month, wrap-around service model to help address and mitigate the opioid epidemic in the District. With over 30 beds available, SOME would provide the appropriate transitional housing to clients in recovery from SUD. SOME will achieve provide a variety of services and activities, including peer support, individual case management, linkage to treatment and recovery support as necessary, linkage to education, vocational support and job training, support and linkage to housing resources, provision of daily living skills and other life skills necessary to support a successful recovery. |
| SOME, Inc. (So Others Might Eat) ABLE Program | Drop-In Center | $82,763.58 | This initiative seeks to combine a peer-based organization with the drop-in center model to provide basic harm reductions services to individuals with OUD and other SUDs. The services for individuals who actively experience substance use may include (but are not limited to): 1) Harm-reduction for substance use by incorporating overdose prevention and legally permissible harm reduction efforts into existing services; 2) Linkage to care and case management systems; 3) Access to free healthcare such as wound care, Hepatitis C/HIV testing and reproductive healthcare; 4) Referrals to substance use disorder level of care assessments, treatment, including MOUD and behavior health resources; 5) Peer support services; 6) and survival resources such as shelter and warmth or cooling. |
| The Nehemiah Project Inc. | Transitional Housing | $903,262.60 | The Nehemiah Project DC (TNPDC) will develop a short-term residential facility providing Temporary Housing with Wrap-Around Services for individuals struggling with opioid addiction, particularly those awaiting treatment entry or recently released from incarceration without safe housing. The initiative will establish an 18-bed respite housing facility, offering emergency shelter and comprehensive support services, to enhance access to treatment, increase engagement, and improve safety and well-being, ultimately reducing overdose incidents. |
| Total Family Care Coalition | Peer Operating Centers Enhancement | $125,000 | The Government of the District of Columbia, Department of Behavioral Health, Adult Services Administration, Office of Opioid Abatement is providing funds to the DC Peer Operated Centers (POCs) to expand services. The Live. Long. DC. Plan 3.0 strategy RE.1 is to “Increase the presence of peer support groups/programs throughout the community for individuals in recovery and monitor the quality and effectiveness of programming.” In addition, the strategy RE.2 is to “Explore implementing community forums or mechanisms for individuals to discuss their road to recovery.” To achieve both these strategies and the overarching goal of ensuring equitable and timely access to high-quality substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services, the Office of Opioid Abatement will make the Opioid Abatement Fund available to enhance the peer recovery supportive services in an effort to increase access to OUD treatment and improve care coordination through Peer-Operated Centers (POC). The purpose of this initiative is to enhance the ability of the POC to engage their communities and increase the workforce development of the POCs, particularly regarding care coordination, wraparound services and mental health first aid training. |
| Unity Health Care, Inc. | Harm Reduction | $152,418.70 | Assess current workflows and develop new care pathways to enhance the identification and treatment of patients with OUD and SUD; ensure that patients receive necessary harm reduction education, low-barrier MOUD initiation, and naloxone and fentanyl/xylazine test strips distribution by introducing dedicated nurse care coordinators and peer recovery coaches who will provide individualized resource navigation and community outreach to address barriers such as homelessness, lack of transportation, and food insecurity, which hinder patient retention in treatment and overall health care. |
| Us Helping Us, People into Living Inc. | Peer Training | $904,292.50 | Us Helping Us initiative Bishop Rainey Cheeks Center of Excellence in Harm Reduction (RaCCE/HR) will focus on emphasizing harm reduction training, technical assistance/capacity building, social marketing campaigns, and hosting an annual District-wide summit. The program is designed to enhance the capacity of community organizations, businesses, and schools to respond to the opioid crisis; increase community awareness and preparedness for substance use disorders; and create stronger support networks for individuals facing substance use challenges. These efforts aim to build a resilient community infrastructure capable of addressing and mitigating the effects of substance use in the District. Anticipated short-term impacts include increased knowledge and resource availability, while long-term goals aim to reduce opioid misuse rates and increase successful interventions. |
| Young Women's Project | Youth Prevention Leadership Corps Expansion | $325,000 | Peers will use working knowledge to help educate their peers on behavioral health topics and available resources. The goal is to help reduce the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health services and to increase youth knowledge of behavioral health information, available behavioral health resources and services, and how to access behavioral health services. Develop and collect behavioral health training curricula for peer educator training that includes evidence-informed prevention practices and strategies for opioid use disorder prevention. |
Funding Opportunities
Funding opportunities will be posted here as they become available. We encourage you to check back periodically for updates.