Berks Opioid Settlement Fund: Request for Funding Process

The Council on Chemical Abuse is open to requests from interested community organizations and/or members for grants to provide services in accordance with the National Opioid Settlement. Services must be offered in Berks County and/or provided to Berks County residents. Funding requests must offer or provide services in any of the areas as outlined below:

• Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and co-occurring Substance Use Disorder any co-occurring Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions through evidence-based or evidence informed programs or strategies.
• Support people in treatment and/or recovery from OUD and any co-occurring SUD or MH conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Connect people to care who have or are at risk of developing OUD and any co-occurring SUD or MH conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Address the needs of persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD or MH conditions who are involved in, are at risk of becoming involved in, or are transitioning out of the criminal justice system through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Address the needs of pregnant or parenting women with OUD and any co-occurring SUD or MH conditions, and the needs of their families, including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Support efforts to prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Support efforts to discourage or prevent misuse of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Support efforts to prevent or reduce overdose deaths or other opioid-related harms through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.
• Provide education/training of law enforcement or other first responders regarding appropriate practices and precautions when dealing with fentanyl or other drugs.
• Support wellness and support services for first responders and others who experience secondary trauma associated with opioid-related emergency events.
• Support opioid abatement research.

Interested parties seeking Berks Opioid Settlement funds must first submit a concept paper outlining the proposed service.  Concept papers are not to exceed four (4) pages and must address the following:

• Name, purpose and description of the project/activity. This must include target populations, locations and approach.
• Experience in providing the proposed service.
• Proposed timelines for project start-up.
• Plan for project continuation if Berks County Opioid Settlement funding is not available.
• General budget for the project and the amount of Berks County Opioid Settlement funds to be requested. This must include an overall amount for personnel, administrative, operating expenses.

Concept papers must be emailed to OpioidSettlement@cocaberks.org.

COCA shall review and respond to all concept papers submitted. If COCA is interested in potentially contracting for the service, the interested party will be requested to submit a more comprehensive and detailed proposal and budget.

All questions regarding this process should be emailed to OpioidSettlement@cocaberks.org.

Funding period: 1/1/23 – Present
Project description: This program is designed to initiate and stabilize inmates at Berks County Jail System with the opioid antagonist Vivitrol prior to being released to the community. Vivitrol helps to block the effects of opioids and is a significant aid. This program was started under a grant from the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency and is a collaborative program between the Berks County Jail and the Treatment Access and Services Center.

Funding period: 9/1/22-6/30/23
Project description: This funding will pay for individuals in need of withdrawal management and/or residential treatment services.

Date of Funding: 4/1/23 to present
Project description:  A transportation service designed to assist individuals living in Berks County with opioid use disorders and any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions who are receiving recovery and other related services. Specifically targeted are those people who do not have access to other types of transportation such as bus service, sufficient rides from family or friends, or their own car. Danny’s Ride is intended to be the ‘last resort’ for transportation in order to maximize the impact of available funding for the program.

Funding period: 3/1/23 to present

Project description: A workforce development program developed and operated by Berks Connections Pretrial Services (BCPS).  This program helps those in recovery from opioid use disorders and any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions to become reliable and successful employees and helps address issues of unemployment and the underemployment.

Funding period: 3/1/23 to present

Project description: A collaboration between Easy Does It of Leesport, PA and Atonement Lutheran Church of Wyomissing, PA to offer certified recovery specialists recovery support services, free of charge, to any Berks County resident who desires it.  Both organizations have a long history of assisting those in recovery from a substance use disorder.  Easy Does It provides short term housing and peer recovery support services for those in early recovery substance use disorder and Atonement hosts numerous recovery support meetings each week at their location.

Funding period: 3/1/23 to 6/30/23

Project description: Support services directly related to the Student Assistance Program which provides early intervention services in local high schools.

Funding period: 6/1/23 to present

A weekly support group for family and friends of loved ones struggling with substance use disorder. Meetings are held in person at the RISE Center and people can also join remotely on Facebook Live every Tuesday evening.

Funding period: 7/1/23 to present

Project description: The use of FDA approved medications to address opioid use disorders. This includes methadone, buprenorphine/Suboxone, naltrexone/Vivitrol, and naloxone/Narcan.

Funding period: 7/1/23 to present

Project description: Expand the availability of Center of Excellence established and primarily available to individuals covered under Pennsylvania Medical Assistance. This program assists individuals with an OUD by coordinating their care: with finding treatment, medical care, and referral to social service providers and removing barriers for wellness.

Funding period: 9/12/23 to present

Project description: The Use of Contingency Management and Harm Reduction for individuals with an opioid use disorder. Funds to be used for appropriate comprehensive training in these two areas as well as the resources for incentives to be used with clients receiving contingency management model of treatment.

Funding period: 9/1/23 to present

Project description: The use of an FDA Authorized medical device known as the Masimo Bridge™ Device which increases successful completion of withdrawal from opioids and increases the successful transition from illicit opioid use to a prescribed and medically managed Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program.

Funding period: 9/12/23 to present

Project description: The establishment of an Equine Therapy program at Bethany Christian Services of Pennsylvania for pregnant and post-partum women. This project will enable pregnant/post-partum women struggling with addiction to process and heal from past trauma through a modality that has been successful for many who have not responded to traditional therapy.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description:  Provide support for the Medical Fellow program at Caron Treatment Center offered in conjunction with Tower Health. The goal of the program is to expand the number of community physicians who are skilled in addiction medicine.  Opioid Settlement funds support certain education, training and related materials, licensing fees and other ancillary expenses related to the project.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description: This education program provided by Caron Treatment Center target both school-aged youth (5-19) impacted by a loved one’s substance use disorder as well as the child-serving professionals who support them.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description: Targeted education provided by Caron Treatment Center on the increased risk student athletes face related to substance use, including concerns regarding injury and opiate use.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description: The Project PEACE Youth Coalition offered by the Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County will provide structured mentoring and leadership opportunities for youth in the Reading School District Middle Schools and High Schools. This is achieved by engaging youth in an effort to increase awareness of the dangers of substance use, decrease drug use and reduce overdoses. This program has been operating for 10 years under a federal grant which will expire on September 30, 2023.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description: Provide resources for the Goodknights Club House, to establish Certified Recovery Specialist services for individuals residing at their recovery house.

Funding period:  9/12/23 to present

Project description:  Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family education support groups for individuals and families suffering from a co-occurring OUD and mental health condition offered by the Berks County Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).  The groups provide mutual support and shared positive experience, compassion and reinforcement from people who understand the impact of opioid use and mental illness.

Funding period:  September 2023

Project description: The mission of the YLC is to build resilient communities by empowering youth to make informed decisions about substance use.  Through innovative prevention programs, peer support, and advocacy, the YLC seeks to empower youth to make informed decisions about substance use.