RFP for Preventing Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) has issued a Request for Proposals for Engaging and Empowering Vulnerable Families and Communities to Prevent Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose.

FORE will provide grant support for specific projects that aim to improve, expand, and/or scale evidence-based family-, school-, and/or community-based prevention services for children and families, particularly for those at highest risk. Applicants may apply for a grant of up to $500,000 per year for up to three years. 

This RFP targets projects that can develop, adapt, explore, and/or evaluate promising evidence-based models of family- and community-based prevention for OUD and overdose. FORE is particularly interested in taking a holistic approach to the needs of every family member, recognizing that some may be in OUD treatment and/or recovery, while others would benefit from preventive measures. FORE also is interested in community-based intervention approaches that meet children and families where they are, including within schools and “after school” activities and healthcare settings. Currently, this opportunity will focus on projects in the following three areas which, based on discussions with experts in the field, are needed to improve prevention efforts in communities nationwide:

1. Mitigating the Impact of ACEs on Families:  Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma play a significant role in whether an individual is susceptible to developing a SUD. People with high ACE scores are more likely to start using drugs or alcohol at an early age and are up to ten times more likely to experience addiction than people who have not experienced childhood trauma. Projects in this focus area include evidence-based prevention models that target children and families at the highest risk, including families who have a caregiver in treatment, recovery, or actively using substances.

2. Developing Models for Racial and Cultural Minorities and Addressing Inequities: In recent years, the gap in the rate of opioid overdoses between racial minorities, such as Black and Latinx individuals and white Americans, has narrowed significantly. The nation's "war on drugs" also has led to a disproportionate number of children in these communities growing up without a parent present. Despite the pressing need, the presence of effective interventions in minority communities is limited. Projects in this focus area include developing culturally informed and inclusive prevention models that address health inequities, are effective in diverse communities of color, and identify routes to successful sustainability.

3. Addressing and Managing Pain, Emotional Distress, and Trauma: Alleviating physical and/or emotional pain is a common reason for initiating misuse of opioids and other substances. Projects that help children and adolescents develop healthy ways of responding to pain with interventions or supports that may be based in schools, homes, or communities will be considered.

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based public charities that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as 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.

Concept notes are due September 20. Select applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by October 1, 2021.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts website.