Harm Reduction Grant Fund- RFA #29157030

Learn more about this funding opportunity

The Harm Reduction Grant Fund (HRGF) was established during the 2019 legislative session through the passage of Senate Bill 19-008: Substance Use Disorder in the Criminal Justice System. The goal and purpose of the Harm Reduction Grant Program is to fund and support local communities to rethink and expand opportunities to address overdose and other drug use-associated harms through evidence-informed harm reduction approaches, rather than through the criminal legal system. 

Harm Reduction is a social justice movement created by and for individuals directly impacted by stigmatized and marginalizing experiences, including drug use. This movement informs practical strategies aimed at reducing the negative outcomes associated with drug use while empowering individuals as agents of positive change in their lives and communities. A comprehensive approach that acknowledges that many kinds of harm share the same systemic causes is necessary to provide individuals with the necessary resources to manage their own health and well-being, regardless of their substance use. 

Overall goals of this funding opportunity

• Reduce the incidence of fatal and nonfatal drug overdose.
• Reduce the incidence of harms associated with drug use such as HIV, hepatitis C, bacterial infections, and skin and soft tissue infections.
• Work with people who use drugs to design and deliver low-barrier services and other initiatives that promote individual and community health and safety 
• Ensure multi-year funding for organizations vital to the overdose prevention and substance use continuum of care.
• Strengthen linkage to affirming and low-barrier health care, treatment, and intersecting support services for people affected by overdose and drug use.
• Reduce health disparities associated with drug use for individuals most likely to experience intersecting marginalization, including people of color, people experiencing housing insecurity, people engaged in sex work, people with a history of incarceration, people with co-occurring conditions or disabilities, and people in the LGBTQ+ community.

This funding intends to focus efforts on improving outcomes for individuals most at risk for overdose and drug-use-associated harms including individuals currently using drugs and those who are disproportionately affected by social and systemic factors such as racism, discrimination, economic insecurity, housing insecurity, incarceration, and co-occurring conditions. To that end, scoring will include a prioritization scale for the primary impacted population(s) of the work proposed in the application.
 

Eligible organizations must be based in Colorado

Only the following entities will be considered for this RFA funding:

• Local public health agencies (LPHAs)
• Community-based non-profit organizations
• Tribal governments or non-profits
• Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)
• Rural Health Clinics
• Behavioral health entities
• Law enforcement agencies
• An eligible entity may also submit a proposal on behalf of a group of eligible entities and designate grant funds accordingly to foster community collaboration and collective impact.

Applicants must be willing to provide non-coercive services to individuals across the continuum of substance use, including individuals who actively use drugs and those who self-identify as being in recovery.