Colorado Opioid Funding Opportunities

We can help!

Colorado is releasing a bevy of behavioral health grants! This post serves as an overview of some of the major new funding opportunities. If you would like to talk about any of the below grants, need help writing a grant, or just want to chat about the grant writing process, we can help! Whether your organization is a small nonprofit or a large hospital foundation, the Steadman Group has the experience and expertise to bring your grant ideas to fruition and produce winning applications for you and your organization. Our grant writing team has unparalleled expertise in producing successful federal grants, foundation grants, and state-level grants for a variety of clients.

Get in touch with [email protected] to set up a meeting!

Steadman Group also serves as a grant writing contractor for the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention grant writing program, funded by Senate Bill 19-228. In this capacity, we help local government and non-profit organizations with grant writing services to help address opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders in their communities. This service is free for non-profit organizations and each organization that is eligible can access up to $10,000 worth of writing assistance. Please see here to access grant writing services through the Consortium.

Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) Grants

The BHA will accept applications for four different grant programs related to SB 22-196 and HB 22-1281 beginning December 8, 2022.  For information on these solicitations please see the Vendor Self Service Portal (VSS). People who are not registered can still use the “Public Access” button on the left.

• Grant related to SB 22-196: Criminal Justice Early Intervention Grant Program
• Grants related to HB 22-1281: Community Investment Grant Program, Children, Youth, and Families Grant Program, Substance Use Workforce Stability Grant Program

Children, Youth and Families Grant Program 

• Approximately $39,000,000 will be awarded between eligible applicants during the funding period. Eligible projects will expand child, youth, and family- oriented behavioral health care services with the goal of establishing a care access point in each behavioral health administrative services region.
• Opened December 8th
• Funding period – total grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2024.
• More information on eligibility and the application is available here. Download the RFP here.

Community Investment

• HB22-1281 allocated funds to establish the Behavioral healthcare continuum gap grant program to provide grants to local governments, community-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations for programs and services along the behavioral health-care continuum. 
• Approximately $34,000,000 will be awarded between eligible applicants during the funding period. Applicants may request any grant amount for their overall project period.
• Funding period – total grant funds must be used in full by December 30, 2024
• More information on eligibility and the application is available here. Download the RFP here.

Criminal Justice Early Intervention Grant

• Approximately $49,000,000 will be awarded between eligible applicants during the funding period. The grant program is geared toward diversion and deflection from the criminal justice system for people with behavioral health needs.
• The maximum grant award amount is $5,000,000 for the overall project period. 
• Funding period – total grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2024
• Match must be provided
• More information on eligibility and the application is available here. Download the RFP here.

Substance Use Workforce Development Stability Grant

• Approximately $14,500,000 will be awarded between eligible applicants during the funding period.
• Opened December 8th
• Funding period – total grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2024
• Funding uses: Supporting direct care staff who spend 50 percent or more of their time working with clients. Supporting direct care staff may include temporary salary increases, recruitment and retention bonuses, and other tactics that support staff.
• The workforce development report can be found here
• More information on eligibility and the application is available here. Download the RFP here.

Harm Reduction Grant Fund HB 22-1326 Expansion – RFA #41043

• The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Overdose Prevention Unit recently announced the availability of funds to develop and/or expand harm reduction programs to prevent overdose deaths, reduce health risks associated with drug use, and decrease substance use related engagement in the criminal justice system, referred to here as the criminal legal system.
• Organizations may apply for up to $330,000 per year
• The grant program will be funded through June 2026
• Applications are due by January 1, 2023
• Please see here for more information on eligible entities and to learn more about the program

Infrastructure Share Grants-Opioid Settlement Funds

• The Infrastructure Share, overseen by the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC), focuses on capital improvements and operational assistance for developing or improving the infrastructure necessary to abate the opioid crisis in Colorado.
• The infrastructure fund is intended to supplement opioid settlement funds received by any local government or region.
• Eligible Entities According to the state memorandum of understanding:
  1. Regional Opioid Abatement Councils
  2. Participating Local Governments
  3. State of Colorado
  4. *Nongovernmental entities, such as not-for-profit organizations, may be part of the collaborative partnership proposed in the application with a governmental entity acting as the applicant and fiscal sponsor.
• Priority for the first year will be given to rural communities; capital construction and brick and mortar infrastructure; and applicants that include a match.
• The first application deadline is in January 2023. There are two additional opportunities to apply, in September of 2023 and 2024.
• See here for information about the application and timelines. 

Regional Opioid Settlement Grants     

• In August 2021, after announcing several historic settlements with major opioid drug manufacturers and distributors, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a framework for distributing nearly $520 million in Opioid Settlement Funds across CO. The Opioid Settlement Funds will be distributed to 19 regions across Colorado, and two federally recognized Colorado tribes. The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) will provide oversight of the regional and infrastructure funds to ensure funds are used for approved purposes. Approved purposes generally fall into prevention, treatment, recovery, harm reduction and criminal justice initiatives and are meant to provide funding for local needs in each region. Importantly, each region will submit a 2-yr plan that explains how they will use their allocated funding on specific initiatives. Funding has already been released for many of the regions and will continue to be dispersed to each region every two years for 18 yrs.
  1. December 15th, 2022, and March 15th, 2023, are the deadlines for 2-yr plan submissions for regions
  2. Visit the COAG site for more information on how different regions have decided to spend their funds so far!
  3. If you are interested in getting involved in your opioid settlement region, here is a list of primary contacts for each region that you can reach out to for more information on meetings and participation. 
• To get on the mailing list and stay in the know on CO opioid settlements, here is the Mailing list for Opioid Response Unit emails and funding opportunities

Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program

The Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program is a funding opportunity offered through the Office of Adult and Juvenile Assistance (OAJJA) for fiscal year 2023 and 2024 in consultation with the Deputy Attorney General, the P.O.S.T. Board Director, and the Opioid Crisis Recovery Funds Advisory Committee which supports the Colorado Department of Law. This funding opportunity is offered to provide grants to law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigating deaths and serious injuries caused by illegal synthetic opiate poisoning and for disrupting synthetic opiate supplies. To learn more about this funding, please see the links below:

• Funding closes on January 6th, 2023
• Synthetic Opiate Poisoning Investigation and Distribution Interdiction Grant Program
• Synthetic Opiate Grant Program Application Instructions
• Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Grant Program FAQs
• The grant program is also advertised on the Crime Prevention Grant Programs webpage.