Baltimore Awards $2 Million in Opioid Restitution Funds to Community Organizations

Baltimore, MD – Per a press release from the City of Baltimore, Mayor Brandon M. Scott has announced the distribution of $2 million in Opioid Restitution Funds to 11 community-based organizations. These grants, awarded through the newly established Opioid Restitution Fund (ORF), are intended to bolster efforts to combat the city’s ongoing overdose crisis. The funding aims to enhance access to treatment, harm reduction services, and crucial social support for residents most affected by the opioid epidemic.

The distribution of these funds represents a significant step in implementing the Mayor’s August 2024 Executive Order, which mandates that settlement money derived from legal actions against opioid manufacturers and distributors directly benefits impacted communities. The total settlement amount is $579.9 million. The selected organizations will utilize the grants to provide a range of evidence-based services, including expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder, distributing harm reduction supplies like naloxone, offering drug checking services, and connecting individuals with essential resources such as housing, job training, and transportation.

Two organizations, the Behavioral Health Leadership Institute and Health Care for the Homeless, each received $500,000. The Behavioral Health Leadership Institute will use its funding to expand street-based outreach for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), distribute harm reduction supplies, conduct overdose prevention education, and offer street-based medical services to underserved populations. Health Care for the Homeless will focus on providing comprehensive harm reduction and substance use disorder services for individuals experiencing homelessness, encompassing supply distribution, screenings, MOUD, and integrated behavioral health care.

The Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition and Check-It, a project of Johns Hopkins University, were each awarded $250,000. The Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition plans to strengthen direct service delivery and overdose prevention through enhanced case management, clinical support, and stigma-reduction initiatives. Check-It will expand its rapid-response drug checking services, aiming to improve information sharing and early detection systems for substances of concern.

LeadingAge Maryland received an award of $200,000 to enhance harm reduction and overdose response training for staff in senior housing facilities. This funding will also support the expansion of on-site and mobile harm reduction services, with a specific focus on developing the community workforce.

Six organizations received $50,000 grants. Community Builders, Inc. will provide housing stability and basic needs support alongside harm reduction education, operating its Wellness Center to aid vulnerable residents. Drink at the Well, Inc. will focus on job training and workforce development for women in recovery or at risk of substance use disorder. Good Trouble Church will expand harm reduction outreach, offer social support through a drop-in center, and conduct community training workshops. HARBEL Community Organization will deliver wraparound supports for individuals with substance use disorder, including housing navigation, transportation assistance, and employment support. Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm will offer vocational training for individuals with a history of opioid use disorder, facilitate wellness groups, and expand access to its community pantry. The SOAP (Thriving, Healing, Empowering Seeds of Addicted Parents) will support youth peer groups, family resiliency programs, harm reduction education, overdose response training, and care coordination for youth and families affected by substance use.

The Restitution Advisory Board (RAB), established by executive order, comprises Baltimore City residents with lived experience, service providers, public health experts, and city and state officials. This board plays a crucial role in guiding the use of ORF funds and recommending projects for grant awards. Future grant rounds will be announced and awarded through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the City of Baltimore.

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