FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County is requesting proposals from agencies for projects that will help the Cumberland County community implement high-impact strategies to address strategies to address the opioid epidemic.
As part of the Opioid Settlement Funds, the county will receive $16,984,644 over 18 years. A Memorandum of Agreement between the state of North Carolina and local governments direct how opioid settlement funds are distributed and used in this state. In August 2022, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved the utilization of $800,000 to fund multi-year (two-years) pilot projects that align with evidence-based, high-impact strategies defined in the MOA. These strategies include:
- Early intervention
- Evidence-based addiction treatment for the uninsured and underinsured
- Programs to support people in treatment and recovery
- Recovery support services
- Recovery housing
- Employment related services
- Re-entry services
- Criminal justice diversion programs
The county is soliciting funding requests for funding through a formal competitive Request for Proposal process. The RFP is posted on the Cumberland County website at cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/commissioners-group/commissioners/opioid-settlement-funds and under the Vendor Self Service page (Proposal # RFP#23-16-PH OPIOID SETTLEMENT) Opioid Settlement Fund Submissions are due Thursday, December 8 at 2:00 p.m.
The county will hold virtual information workshops on Nov. 2 at 10:00 a.m. and Nov. 7 at 4:00 p.m. for interested agencies and organizations, and a video recording of that session will be posted for anyone unable to participate.
Proposals will be accepted from nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, hospital systems, and private behavioral health and mental health providers, which includes providers of Office-Based Opioid Treatment and Opioid Treatment Providers, Federal Qualified Health Centers, kindergarten through post graduate educational institutions, and other community-based organizations. Agencies will need to identify one or more strategies their proposals will address.
Funded projects must:
- Meet a public purpose and fall within Cumberland County authority to fund per N.C. General Statutes, to be affirmed and reviewed by the Cumberland County legal department prior to execution of a contract or funding agreement.
- Identify and directly address a need related to reducing opioid overdoses and related deaths through treatment, recovery, harm reduction and other life-saving programs.
- Directly address health inequities, social determinants of health and support equitable outcomes for the most impacted populations.
- Use evidence-based practices
- Have at least three years of experience and demonstrated success of providing the type of proposed services.
- Leverage and align with other funding sources.
- Make best use of this infusion of resources.
- Provide performance reporting regarding use of funds and project impact on a quarterly basis.
- Include an approved budget using Cumberland County’s Budget Template and track and report expenditures using the same form.
- Comply with all provisions of the funding North Carolina MOA, including expenditure tracking and federal subrecipient monitoring include costs incurred no earlier than the beginning of the contract period.
- Serve the residents of Cumberland County.
- Proposals must be two-year projects.
Organizations should direct all questions regarding the Request for Proposals to Lorena Santos, Purchasing Manager, at cumberlandpurchasing@cumberlandcountync.gov or call 910-678-7743.
For more information, call 910-433-3707 or visit cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/public-health.