New York, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) today announced $1,049,000 in new funding to seven community-based organizations in urban and rural areas across the country to combat the opioid use and overdose crisis. The funding is part of FORE’s program to support community-driven initiatives to reduce overdoses and engage community members in treatment and recovery.
The new grants follow FORE’s $2.2 million in funding provided to 15 community-based organizations in March 2023. In total, the FORE Community-Based Organization Program has provided grants of $3.2 million to 22 community-based organizations this year. Since its founding in 2018, FORE has awarded 98 grants to 87 organizations, totaling $37.8 million.
“Community-based organizations are essential to providing solutions to the opioid use disorder and overdose crisis in our country,” said Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH, President of FORE. “They best understand the needs of their communities and which initiatives will have the most impact on individuals and families. We are expanding this program to support more communities in need across the nation."
FORE funding is being used to support different capacity building needs, including running programs, bolstering staffing, addressing technology needs, and establishing strategic partnerships.
The seven new community-based grantees are:
Addiction Recovery Coalition of New Hampshire, Milford, New Hampshire, $150,000 to hire an additional Certified Recovery Support Worker (CRSW) who will play a pivotal role in providing much-needed peer support, connection to wrap around services, and referrals to treatment providers, and help meet the growing demand for these services.
Meta House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, $150,000 to add a full-time Medical Assistant to their residential care team, who will be primarily responsible for providing care to pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder or opioid use disorder.
Avivo, Minneapolis, Minnesota, $150,000 to hire an additional Street Outreach Navigator. The expanded team will continue the work of assisting individuals with obtaining housing, referrals to appropriate wraparound resources, and access to medical, substance use, and/or mental health treatment services.
Center For Counseling & Consultation, Great Bend, Kansas, $150,000 to fund a Substance Use Program Director, who will provide managerial leadership for administrative personnel tasked with enhancing operational effectiveness, stabilizing resources, and expanding its opioid use disorder and substance use disorder treatment services.
Frederick County, Division of Fire & Rescue Services, Frederick, Maryland, $150,000 to enhance the COAST Program (a co-response model that pairs a community paramedic and a peer recovery specialist) to provide services to more people and reduce barriers to accessing treatment through several key goals, including additional training and education for EMS providers regarding substance use disorders.
Health Brigade, Richmond, Virginia, $150,000 to strengthen Health Brigade’s organizational capacity to continue its Comprehensive Harm Reduction program, including funding strategies, peer supports, and linkage to treatment programs.
Voices of Community Activists & Leaders (Vocal-NY), New York, New York, $149,420 to enhance the efficiency of its service delivery, so staff is prepared for increases in participants. The work will provide the basis for, and implementation of, new policies, procedures, and financial, administrative, and HR functions.
“The support from the Foundation of Opioid Response Efforts will have a significant impact on our ability to help meet the needs of our community and the individuals we serve,” said Matthew Burgan, Community Paramedic at Frederick County, Division of Fire & Rescue Services. “We are most grateful for the work being done by FORE on behalf of people across the country who are seeking help or who are in recovery, as well as for the executive support provided by Chief Coe and County Executive Fitzwater to continue our fight against the opioid epidemic, here in Frederick County.”
Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)
FORE was founded in 2018 as a private 501(c)(3) national, grant-making foundation focused on addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. FORE is committed to funding a diversity of projects contributing solutions to the crisis at national, state, and community levels. FORE’s mission is to support partners advancing patient-centered, innovative, evidence-based solutions impacting people experiencing opioid use disorder, their families, and their communities. Through convening, grantmaking and developing informational resources, FORE seeks to bring about long-term change. To date, FORE has awarded 98 grants to 87 organizations, totaling $37.8 million.
