NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 8, 2022
CONTACT: Jana Blomberg, Community Health Program Coordinator
218-471-7613
St. Louis County seeks proposals for projects to be funded with opioid lawsuit settlement money
St. Louis County has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for projects aimed at helping individuals and communities hurt most by opioids and to prevent future harm. The county will award funds to support these projects using money received from its first year portion of the national settlement with pharmaceutical companies that distributed opioids.
To be considered, proposals should target populations in communities throughout St. Louis County that have been most impacted by substance use disorder and the opioid epidemic through evidence based or practice-informed programming or initiatives. Additionally, projects should address one of the following priorities:
- Prevention strategies – in particular those focusing on youth programs that are trauma informed, culturally sensitive and use an equitable approach.
- Stigma reduction - community-based education for communities, families, and youth.
- Harm reduction – syringe exchanges, overdose prevention, peer recovery supports and services.
The issuance of this RFP is the result of months of work by the county's Opioid Remediation Subcommittee. The subcommittee includes a combination of elected leaders, county staff and community experts representing law enforcement, the medical community, providers, harm reduction, peer recovery, and families and individuals directly impacted by the opioid epidemic. It was formed earlier this year at the direction of the County Board Chair and tasked with making recommendations to the County Board on how best to use the opioid settlement funds to support positive long-term impacts in the areas of prevention and harm reduction.
"We are excited to reach this step, and I am thankful for the thoughtful approach and hard work of everyone on the subcommittee to get us to this point," said County Board Chair Paul McDonald. "I'm also optimistic for the future. We are going to distribute these settlement proceeds to invest in prevention and harm reduction, and we are going to save lives."
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 22. Projects will be selected and expected to begin in the first quarter of 2023. Funding will be for one year, with an initial total of $340,000 to be distributed among several high impact proposals. Depending on outcomes, proposals could be renewed. The next priority to be addressed with future year litigation settlements will target criminal justice strategies.
To be funded, a project must be implemented within St. Louis County and serve residents of this county. The RFP can be found online at stlouiscountymn.gov/PHHS by clicking on the link to Business Services. The direct link is: PHHS Business Services (stlouiscountymn.gov). Any questions should be directed to Jana Blomberg, Public Health Program Coordinator, at blombergj@stlouiscountymn.gov or 218-471-7613.
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