Grant | Expanding Harm Reduction Services for Priority Populations Who Use Drugs (Deadline October 3, 2023)

Expanding Harm Reduction Services for Priority Populations Who Use Drugs

NYS Health Dept – AIDS Institute, Office of Drug User Health

Grant Opportunity ID: DOH01-PPHRS-2024
Application Deadline: October 3, 2023 by 4 PM  ET
Expected number of awards: 8 – 24 (200,00 -300,000 each)
Estimated Total Program Funding: Up to $3,750,000 annually for 2 years

Background:

The intent of this funding is to fund agencies in NYS, who work closely and provide support to People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and these priority populations by providing harm reduction services and activities using a heath equity lens and framework. The applicants need to demonstrate how they plan to expand the array of meaningful, non-coercive, client-driven services to reduce overdose and other negative outcomes of substance use. These activities could include direct services to people who use drugs, and either directly provided or via linkage to outside providers, access to medications for opioid use disorder/medications for addiction treatment (MOUD/MAT), as well as the provision of naloxone, training, and overdose prevention materials. All applicants should describe how the programs will address the social determinants of health (SDOH) that contribute to perpetuating an individual’s vulnerability to repeated overdose, such as lack of stable housing, poverty, drug-use related stigma, racism, etc. Studies have shown that the increasing number of cumulative reports of non-fatal overdose are associated with a greater risk of subsequent fatal overdose. Therefore, each non-fatal overdose significantly increases a person’s risk of a subsequent fatal overdose. This highlights the importance of and need for engagement with people who have experienced a recent overdose.

This funding is for programs that can demonstrate they prioritize health and racial equity and can
apply a culturally comprehensive, harm reduction and trauma-informed approach when working with PWUD and priority populations. This includes incorporating peer specialists into the program’s staffing. Peer specialists are persons with recent lived and/or living experience of substance use, who represent the priority population and utilize a harm reduction, trauma-informed approach, have rapport and mutual respect established with PWUD and have experience working with individuals that have complex needs and their networks. Peer specialists support PWUD navigate accessing supportive services and address barriers to timely care. Their work is to provide non-clinical, strengths‐based support, harm reduction services and linkage to care. View more details of funding here.

Minimum Eligibility Requirement:

All applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:

• Applicant must be a not-for-profit agency in New York State (NYS) including hospitals, health care systems, primary care networks, academic institutions, community-based organizations, voluntary associations, voluntary agencies that operate OASAS-certified, funded or otherwise authorized SUD treatment programs, voluntary agencies that operate OMH-licensed mental health services programs, scientific /professional associations or be a local government/public health agency.
• Applicant must submit Attachment 2 – Statement of Assurances signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Designee to certify the organization meets all criteria listed on Attachment 2. Attachment 2 is located in the Pre-Submission Uploads section of the Grants
  Gateway and once completed should be uploaded in the same section.
• Applicant must be prequalified in the New York State Grants Gateway, if not exempt, on the date applications are due.

Requirements for the Program

Funded applicants will be expected to implement the following activities and services:

1. Identify and serve a cross-section of clients who are representative of the overall priority population: groups/subgroups at risk for drug overdose, those at high risk for overdose death; and those at disproportionate risk of drug overdose who experience racial/ethnic or
   socioeconomic disparities (inadequate access to care, poor quality of care, or low income).
2. Connect with your region’s DUHH/SSP and treatment providers to enhance the availability and accessibility of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder/ Medication for Addiction Treatment (MOUD/MAT) and Hepatitis C care and treatment for PWUD.
3. Invite and meaningfully include PWUD in policy and program development, decision-making, and in advisory roles on committees.
4. Ensure at least one (1) peer specialist or staff that is a PWLE and represents the priority population is part of the decision-making and delivery of this new initiative.
5. Develop a support system for peers and staff that includes wellness checks and system to address vicarious trauma or other mental health needs. Develop protocols for training and ongoing professional development for peers.
6. Coordinate services with other health and human service providers, including mental health services, serving the priority population(s).
7. Collaborate with local health departments, regional offices of the NYSDOH as well as other health and human service providers in identifying and responding to emerging trends.
8. Demonstrate engagement with individuals that have recently experienced an overdose as part of rapid response efforts to suspected overdose spike.
9. Participate in a collaborative process with the NYSDOH AI to assess progress meeting the initiative standards and program outcomes and provide monthly narrative reports describing the program with respect to 1) model implementation, 2) client identification, engagement, and retention 3) success in meeting the workplan objectives, tasks and performance measures for the RFA, 4) data collection and reporting 5) significant accomplishments achieved, and 6) barriers encountered and plans to address noted problems.
10. Submit statistical reports on clients served, and other data using the AIDS Institute Reporting System (AIRS). Successful applicants must demonstrate the capacity to collect and report all required data, both personnel and hardware-related using AIRS. AIRS is a data reporting system that is required by the NYSDOH AI to report client demographic information as well as program activities. NYSDOH AI requires maintenance and reporting of unduplicated client level data, including demographics and service histories, in accordance with applicable federal and/or state reporting requirements. NYSDOH AI provides and supports the AIRS software to enable providers to meet data submission requirements. Details on this software product may be obtained by accessing the following Internet address, www.airsny.org.
11. Address and assess the specific social and/or structural determinants of health. The unequal distribution of social and/or determinants can lead to disparities and ultimately inequities in health and health outcomes. Strategies should prioritize those populations that are most impacted, negatively, by social and structural determinants of health. Please see Attachment 4 for Health Equity Definitions and Examples of social and structural determinants of health.
12. All activities will have a framework of Health Equity. The funded applicant must demonstrate a commitment to health equity: Health equity is the fair and just opportunity for everyone to achieve optimal holistic health and well-being regardless of social position or other social or structural determinants of health. This requires addressing avoidable inequalities (e.g., access to affordable and high-quality food, housing, education, health care/services, and safe environments), historical and contemporary injustices (e.g., economic injustice/poverty, racism, classism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression, discrimination, and/or stigma) and valuing health differences equally. We also acknowledge the historical and structural underpinnings of race, racism, and genocide in the United States that perpetuate many of the racial inequities we see manifested today. Because health equity can never truly be achieved without racial equity, we work toward achieving both.
13. Ensure all activities are inclusive of populations disproportionately affected by drug overdose and death, and that the needs of persons with disabilities, co-occurring mental health, people with limited health literacy, racial and ethnic groups, and the LGBTQI+ populations are included in activities.
14. Complete the 12-module, free online Health Equity in the Response to Drug Overdose Training that was funded by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the CDC and submit their completion certificate to the NYSDOH.
15. Adhere to Health Literacy Universal Precautions (https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/qualitypatient-safety/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/index.html).
16. Adhere to all objectives, tasks and performance measures as listed in the Work Plan
17. Identify and serve a cross-section of clients who are representative of the overall priority population: groups/subgroups at risk for drug overdose, those at high risk for overdose death; and those at disproportionate risk of drug overdose who experience racial/ethnic or
    socioeconomic disparities (inadequate access to care, poor quality of care, or low income) within the selected community.
18. Participate in a collaborative process with the NYSDOH AI to assess program outcomes and provide quarterly narrative reports and performance measures, monthly check-in meetings and monthly office hours with all funded programs. Programs are expected to describe their progress with respect to 1) Implementation of interventions/services, 2) client recruitment, 3)
    success in meeting the NYSDOH AI – Work Plan Attachment 5 significant accomplishments achieved, and 5) barriers encountered and plans to address noted problems.

To Apply:

1. Log into the Grants Gateway as either a “Grantee” or “Grantee Contract Signatory”.
2. On the Grants Gateway home page, click the “View Opportunities” button”.
3. Use the search fields to locate an opportunity; search by State agency (NYSDOH) or enter the
   Grant Opportunity name: Expanding Harm Reduction Services for Priority Populations Who Use Drugs.
4. Click on “Search” button to initiate the search.
5. Click on the name of the Grant Opportunity from the search results grid and then select the
   “APPLY FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITY” button located bottom left of the Main page of the Grant Opportunity

Questions? Contact Narelle Ellendon at PriorityPopsRFA@health.ny.gov

View details of Grant Funding here

Apply here

Last Updated on October 5, 2023 by HepFree NYC