Opioid Response Community Grants

Saint Paul - Ramsey County Public Health (SPRCPH) is investing up to $1,000,000 in community-led organizations whose work addresses one of the Opioid Response Initiative priority areas:

Pregnant people, parents and babies.
Culturally-specific approaches for treatment and recovery.
Health education, awareness and outreach focused on prevention.
Treatment and support for people involved in the justice system.
Education and engagement with young people.

The Opioid Response Community Grants program concluded in February of 2025. Grant funding comes from the opioid settlement as a part of the Opioid Response Initiative. Learn more about the 2024 grantees.

Background

Many people in Minnesota and Ramsey County have been deeply affected by the opioid epidemic, especially with a significant increase in opioid overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, there were 978 opioid-involved overdose deaths in Minnesota, a 44% rise from 2020. This number more than doubled from 2019 to 2022.

In 2021, American Indian Minnesotans were ten times more likely to die from a drug overdose than white Minnesotans, while Black Minnesotans were over three times as likely. In Ramsey County, opioid-related fatalities increased from 34 in 2016 to 168 in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the issue, with 170 opioid-related fatalities in Ramsey County between January 1, 2023, and September 30, 2023.

Addressing this crisis is a top priority for the county and Public Health. The Chief Strategist is leading efforts to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues, deciding how to use the Opioid Settlement Funds. Recognizing that these funds over the next 18 years may not be enough to fully address the public health crisis, there is a shared interest in dedicating as many resources as possible to tackle the problem.

Funds distributed by SPRCPH are part of the county’s opioid remediation efforts, following guidelines set by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The SPRCPH Opioid Response Initiative is guided by five core principles. We expect the programs and services funded by Opioid Response Community Grants to adopt these principles as well. Our core principles are:

Spend money to save lives.
Use evidence to guide spending.
Invest in youth prevention.
Focus of racial equity.
Develop a fair and transparent process for deciding where to spend the funding.

Priority areas

1. Pregnant people, parents and babies.

Four grants worth up to $55,000 each will be awarded in this priority area. Work could include:

Education for families about treatment options and effects of opioid use on pregnancy.
Treatment and recovery services for uninsured or underinsured people with opioid use disorder and other mental health conditions.
Support and care for children and family members impacted by opioid addiction in their family.

2. Culturally-specific approaches for treatment and recovery.

Four grants worth up to $55,000 each will be awarded in this priority area. Work could include:

Offer workforce development training in multiple languages about opioid use and substance use disorder.
Increase community awareness of resources and treatment options for opioid use and substance use disorder.
Provide culturally-specific case management services for racially and ethnically diverse people with opioid use or substance use disorder.

3. Health education, awareness and outreach focused on prevention.

Four grants worth up to $50,000 each will be awarded in this priority area. Work could include:

Raise awareness and offer training about how and when to use naloxone.
Develop culturally-specific messaging and outreach strategies.
Conduct community health education and outreach using evidence-based and evidence-informed practices.
Provide community navigators for people impacted by opioid use or substance use disorder.

4. Treatment and support for people involved in the justice system.

Four grants worth up to $40,000 each will be awarded in this priority area. Work could include:

Transportation to and from treatment or other substance use related services for people in the justice system.
Connect people to pre-trial services, resources and care.

5. Education and engagement with young people.

Four grants worth up to $50,000 each will be awarded in this priority area. Work could include:

Develop educational materials in collaboration with youth and young adults.
Host community health education and drug prevention events at schools, libraries, recreation centers, etc.
Train youth to educate their peers about naloxone.

Eligibility

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Evaluation and scoring criteria

Applicants must choose one priority for their proposal. Applications will be evaluated based on the following:

Criteria	Max point value
Overall program and services work plan
Mission, vision and values	10
Organizational capacity	10
Collaboration and coordination	10
Work plan	20
Alignment with grant criteria and expectations
Target populations	15
Racial and health equity	15
Budget
Consistency with proposed workplan	20
Total possible points	100

Our Commitments

Applications will be evaluated on their alignment with the SPRCPH Opioid Response Initiative's commitments:

We aim to connect with and gain the trust of our most affected communities, especially Black and American Indian residents. We use proven methods to show our commitment and work together to share responsibility.
We consider relevant data when making decisions to ensure that our work benefits communities, saves lives and makes people healthier.
We want to teach, involve and inform everyone in the county about the opioid crisis we are facing in this community. Increased awareness will make it easier to find help and influence the choices younger generations make about drugs.

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Timeline

Milestone	Date	Location
Grant application opens.	Jan. 31
Information Session	Feb. 5	View the recording.
Information Session	Feb. 6
Questions about the grant or application process must be sent by this date.	Feb. 12
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) posted.	Feb. 15
Application deadline.	March 18	11:59 p.m.
Application review sessions.	March 19 – April 12
Notice to applicants.	Week of April 15
Contracts are in place and work begins.	Summer 2024	Opioid Response Community Grantees

Opioid Response Community Grants

Background

Priority areas

1. Pregnant people, parents and babies.

2. Culturally-specific approaches for treatment and recovery.

3. Health education, awareness and outreach focused on prevention.

4. Treatment and support for people involved in the justice system.

5. Education and engagement with young people.

Eligibility

Evaluation and scoring criteria

Our Commitments

Reporting requirements

Timeline

Resources

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Opioid Response Community Grants

Background Background

Priority areas Priority areas

Eligibility Eligibility

Evaluation and scoring criteria

Our Commitments

Reporting requirements

Timeline

Contact Us

Resources

Background

Priority areas

Eligibility