09/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/06/2024 09:28
September 6, 2024 - In this week's City Council meeting, City Council approved a new program from the City of St. Petersburg to support eligible non-profit organizations that will provide crucial services to address and mitigate the effects of the opioid epidemic.
The City has allocated a total of $1,000,000 for the Opioid Support Grants Program, which will be awarded in both small grant (up to $25,000) and large grant (up to $100,000) tiers, to proposals that align with the priority impact areas.
With this opportunity, the City seeks to fill resource or service gaps that exist in the community. The City intends to use this funding to award grants to proposals that are new and innovative, and that are not already being funded by existing sources - proposals that, with this funding, would allow the new initiative to be implemented.
In addition to accepting proposals that align with those principles and overarching categories outlined below, City priority in awarding grants will be given to proposals that focus on respite housing, harm reduction, and peer support.
Categories of Impact Areas:
Treatment and Recovery Support Services: This category seeks to fund proposals that increase opportunities for individualized treatment programs and peer support and recovery services among people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
Overdose Prevention & Harm Reduction: This category seeks to fund proposals that prevent overdose deaths and reduce other opioid-related harms among people with OUD.
Substance Use Prevention & Education: This category seeks to fund proposals that provide education and supportive opportunities to prevent substance use and reduce community stigma.
Eligible non-profit organizations can apply for funding for one or both of the below tiers. Priority in awarding grants will be given to proposals that focus on respite housing, harm reduction, and peer support.
Tier 1: Organizational Support Grants - Up to $25,000 for organizations working to advance treatment and recovery support services, overdose prevention and harm reduction, and/or substance use prevention and education. Funding can be used to support a wide range of operating and program costs.
Tier 2: Program Grants - Up to $100,000 to create or support specific programs and projects that directly advance treatment and recovery support services, overdose prevention and harm reduction, and/or substance use prevention and education. Funding can be used to support staff time and specific program-related costs.
Grant details, eligibility criteria, and the application can be found at stpete.org/OSG. Applications will be accepted now until Oct. 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m..
About the Opioid Settlement Fund
In 2018 and 2019, the City of St. Petersburg signed on to several lawsuits against prescription opiate manufacturers, distributors, and retailers under the National Prescription Opiate Litigation umbrella. States brought their local governments together to negotiate settlement terms and began to form statewide plans on how to manage incoming settlement dollars. In November 2021, the State of Florida Opioid Allocation and Statewide Response Agreement was signed, which divided opioid settlement monies into State, regional, and local buckets of funding. All opioid settlement dollars received must be directed to opioid abatement, following the Approved Uses outlined in the Statewide Response Agreement. The City of St. Petersburg will receive approximately $6 million in Opioid Settlement Funds over a period of 18 years.