California Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Initiative (Round 2)

The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, in partnership with the California Department of Public Health, is pleased to announce a second round of funding through the California Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Initiative (COPHRI).

Donor Name: The Center at Sierra Health Foundation

State: California

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/20/2024

Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million

Grant Duration: 3 Years

Details:

Funded partners will promote the health and safety of people who use drugs by supporting a range of harm reduction services operated by state- and locally-authorized syringe services programs (SSPs) throughout the State of California. This funding opportunity is available to SSPs that were not previously awarded funding through COPHRI or the California Harm Reduction Initiative (CHRI) supported by the California Department of Public Health through the National Harm Reduction Coalition (NHRC).

As the first allocation of these new state resources, this funding opportunity will support core harm reduction services, including but not limited to:

• Training on overdose prevention and response including naloxone distribution for people who use drugs and other people who may witness an opioid overdose.
• Safer drug use education.
• Distribution of safer drug use equipment including syringes and other injection equipment, safer smoking equipment and other materials designated by CDPH/OA as necessary to prevent communicable disease transmission, drug overdose, injury, or disability.
• Navigation to substance use disorder treatment providers.
• Community outreach services including street or mobile outreach and drop-in centers.
• Wound care and prevention.
• Telehealth or remote services for people unable to reach a SSP service location.
• Case management and healthcare coordination
• Drug checking services.
• Integration of relevant medical or public health services in harm reduction settings.
• Other low-barrier health and social services that support health and safety for people who use drugs.

The overall goals of this funding opportunity are to:

• Reduce the incidence of fatal and nonfatal drug overdose.
• Reduce the incidence of infections related to injection drug use including HIV, hepatitis B and C, systemic bacterial infections and skin and soft tissue infections.
• Ally with people who use drugs to design and deliver low-barrier services and other initiatives that promote people’s health and safety in relation to drug-related harm and the negative effects of public and institutional policies targeting people who use drugs.
• Ensure multi-year funding sustainability for SSPs to deliver services in their role as an essential part of the continuum of care around drug use and health.
• Support connections to primary health care, substance use disorder treatment and other health care as appropriate.

Funding Information

The Center anticipates approving approximately 35 awards of up to $570,000 each for the period May 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027.

Eligible Activities 

Examples of activities that may be supported by this funding opportunity include:

• Costs related to continuing or expanding work previously funded under CHRI.
• Full or part-time harm reduction workers to provide safer drug use education and supplies access through community outreach and other settings.
• Staffing for overdose education and naloxone distribution services.
• Licensed professional staff (e.g. LCSW, RN, NP, etc.) to provide clinical physical or mental health care services.
• Supervisory and administrative staff (executive and program directors, accounting services, etc.).
• Equipment and software directly related to the project.
• Costs related to building and sustaining peer-driven services, including wages and job training/skills building costs.
• Health care, social services or entitlements navigators, case managers or care coordinators.
• Costs related to partnering with independent professionals or health care providers (e.g. medical malpractice insurance, co-location expenses, etc.).
• Office/building rent.
• Vehicle leasing, insurance and repairs.
• Other transportation costs for staff and participants.
• Costs associated with participant advisory committees or similar efforts to involve participants in decision making.
• Skills building / capacity building / technical assistance services provided by third parties.

Eligibility Criteria 

This funding opportunity is intended to support state and locally authorized syringe services programs throughout the state of California that were not previously supported by this initiative. If your organization received a funding award through COPHRI in March 2024, you are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility conditions (A and either B or C):

• Be a public or private nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status or a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)3 status that may legally conduct business within the state of California. Community-based nonprofit organizations, local health departments, federally qualified health centers, tribal health centers, hospitals and other entities that offer syringe services are generally eligible to apply.
• Be a syringe services program (SSP) authorized by a local government or CDPH/OA pursuant to California Health and Safety Code 121349 or for physician-led programs, operate under the direction of a physician through their ability to dispense syringes as defined in Business and Professions Code 4145.5.
• Be able to demonstrate that SSP authorization status is currently under review with CDPH/OA or a local government, subject to confirmation by CDPH/OA.

For more information, visit The Center at Sierra Health Foundation.