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The Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Administration is seeking proposals from qualified responders for to establish Safe Recovery Sites.
In May 2023, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for these sites, which aim to save lives through overdose and disease prevention. These new Safe Recovery Sites will be an extension of harm reduction work already occurring in Minnesota. Grantees will use these funds to establish sites that promote health, wellness, safety, and recovery to people who are in active stages of substance use disorder.
The RFP will focus on implementing most of the services outlined in the Safe Recovery Sites legislation. That includes:
- sterile needle exchange
- opiate antagonist rescue kits
- fentanyl and other drug testing
- street outreach
- educational and referral services
- health, safety, and wellness services
- access to hygiene and sanitation.
This initial RFP for Safe Recovery Sites does not include safe injection spaces, which is consistent with a decision communicated by DHS shortly after the legislation passed in 2023. State leadership know that this potential service will require careful consideration and extensive engagement with community partners, people who use drugs and law enforcement. DHS will continue to conduct research into this potential service, while working with federal partners to determine how it could be implemented in Minnesota.
Over the past year, DHS has conducted extensive community engagement to inform the development of this RFP. In January 2024, staff visited New York City to meet with OnPoint, an overdose prevention site, along with representatives from the NYC Health Department and VOCAL NYC, a local syringe service program.
The department's research continued with a visit to Rhode Island in spring 2024, where staff met with the Office of Health and Human Services to discuss their Overdose Prevention Center RFP process. They also consulted with Weber/Renew, the organization contracted to operate Rhode Island's Overdose Prevention Center.
Throughout summer 2024, DHS engaged with 13 Syringe Service Programs across Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The department then expanded its community outreach to include Tribal Nations, meeting with seven Ojibwe Tribes (White Earth, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage and Mille Lacs) and one Dakota Tribe (Lower Sioux) during summer and fall 2024.
Community engagement will continue both after the RFP's release and following the award process. Once sites are selected, DHS staff will provide education regarding the new sites and will engage directly with surrounding communities. DHS will also evaluate the program on an ongoing basis to monitor health-related outcomes, as well as public safety and broader community impacts.
If you have general questions about these new sites, please view this FAQ about Safe Recovery Sites.
The term of any resulting contract is anticipated to be for four years, from July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2029. The state may extend the contract up to a total of five years.
Proposals must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025.
If you have questions about the Safe Recovery Sites community engagement process, please contact Odie Spinelli at odie.spinelli@state.mn.us.
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