On January 19, 2023 the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) launched their grant program. This funding is in addition to the direct allocation to cities and counties in Virginia and offers opportunity for expanded multi-year opioid abatement activities for individual cities and counties as well as collaborative programs to further leverage state and local funding for this work.

This funding is part of the negotiated plan for Virginia to accept national settlement offers. Tony McDowell, Executive Director of the OAA, shared guidance and fielded questions about this grant program at the VML/VACo/VAPDC workshop in Richmond. The work of the OAA is based on the signed Virginia Allocation MOU between ALL 133 cities and counties in the Commonwealth that guides eligibility and use of the current and future opioid settlement funds. Examples of abatement activities that may be funded include prevention programs in schools, detox services and naloxone training, treatment and diversion programs, as well as opportunities to address underlying causes and impacts to opioid addiction such as housing, transportation, job training and employment. Behavioral health and co-occurring addiction crisis care can be supported as long as the central focus is on opioid use disorders and misuse. While this funding cannot supplant current salaries or programs, it is a significant funding source to expand, grow and create needed opioid abatement programming in our region. Proposals can be developed for 1-5 year efforts and have the potential for renewal at the end of the proposed grant cycle based on the program's outcomes and impacts.
 
For more information about the OAA and support in building a collaborative grant application, please contact Holly Lesko (hlesko@nrvrc.org). You may also visit the OAA website and grant portal to learn more about this program at www.voaa.us.