Director's Note

Infrastructure Share Funding

The Department of Law was named as the administrator for the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC). On behalf of the COAC, I am pleased to announce that on March 13th, the COAC approved over $1.9 million in infrastructure grants for six organizations throughout Colorado working to combat the opioid crisis.
 
These grants are the first to be awarded from the statewide Infrastructure Share, which is 10% of the funds received from settlements reached by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Keep reading to learn more about the first group of awardees.
 
The COAC will launch a second round of applications for infrastructure funding in May, with up to $3.2 million to distribute to initiatives across the state.
 
We encourage regions, local governments, and stakeholders to begin conversations to identify potential infrastructure projects in their communities.
 
For information about the Infrastructure Share and the COAC, you may click here for the COAC web page. Keep reading to see some FAQs about the Infrastructure Share below.

Infrastructure Share application materials will be posted on the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council webpage by May 1st and shared through the opioid response newsletter mailing list.
State Share Funding

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is pleased to announce the first Opioid Abatement Innovation Challange.

The grant application process will open in May - stay tuned for more details.

The DOL Opioid Abatement Innovation Challenge grant will support emerging and innovative approaches to combat Colorado’s opioid crisis that generate implementable solutions. The DOL’s intent with the Opioid Abatement Innovation Challenge grant is to accelerate progress with innovative, high-impact ideas to combat Colorado’s opioid crisis.

Innovation funding application materials will be posted on the Department of Law opioids home page, which you find can at www.coag.gov/opioids, and announced through the opioid response newsletter mailing list in May.

Thank you for your partnership in this work.
Heidi K. Williams
Director of Opioid Response
Colorado Department of Law
2023 Round 1 Infrastructure Share Funding Recipients

On March 13th, the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council approved awards for the following programs:

Region 18, SLV Recovery LLC, and Roofers in Recovery/Hope in the Valley: $199,650

The funds will assist SLV Recovery with the infrastructure needs for the first CARR recovery housing in the San Luis Valley, and Roofers in Recovery/Hope in the Valley to open the area’s first public residential treatment facility.

Arapahoe County Public Health (Region 9): $344,723

Arapahoe County Public Health Harm Reduction, through the Mobile Outreach program, will expand access to low-threshold, low-barrier addiction, and harm reduction services for people at highest risk of near-term death from opioid use disorder, particularly in remote parts of the county and adjacent communities.

The program includes a mobile unit and a team of harm reduction outreach specialists that will be sent to areas with high rates of opioid use and overdose to engage individuals, provide culturally relevant harm reduction services, and link those with opioid use disorder to comprehensive community-based care.

Fremont County and the Fremont County Boys and Girls Club (Region 15): $500,000

The grant will help the club fund the purchase and expansion of the building where it currently houses its programs.

After-school programs provide safe, constructive, and positive spaces during the hours of 3-6 p.m. when children are more likely to engage in risky behaviors including substance experimentation and abuse. Fremont County is a rural area and is in the top 10 Colorado counties with the highest opioid-related death rate per capita.

Town of Buena Vista and the Boys and Girls Club of Chaffee County (Region 15): $500,000

The club plans to construct a facility to support the delivery of prevention-based programming to local youth. With a growing membership exceeding 320 kids per year and daily attendance regularly exceeding 100, the need for a new, permanent Buena Vista Boys & Girls Club facility is critical.

Douglas County and Valley Hope Association (Region 12): $250,000

The grant will go to supporting the Building Hope Parker Project expansion to increase capacity for care and treatment from 800-1,100 patients annually.

This proposal exhibits regionalism in that Hope Valley works closely with most major hospitals and maintains strong relationships with other treatment centers and sober living homes across Colorado’s 64 counties. Building Hope Parker will provide substance use disorder services to people around the state, including those in rural and underserved areas.

Thornton Police Department (Region 8): $130,000

The Thornton Police Department intends to establish a Naloxone Plus Program, allowing the city to hire a coordinator to follow up on overdose cases, bringing in an array of service providers to assist in long term recovery and rebuilding the whole person.
Infrastructure Share Funding FAQs

What is the purpose of the Infrastructure Share?

The purpose of the Infrastructure Share is to promote capital improvements and provide operational assistance for developing or improving the infrastructure necessary to abate the opioid crisis within the State of Colorado.

What is the intent of the Infrastructure Share?

The Infrastructure Share is intended to supplement other opioid settlement funds by providing additional funds to areas of greatest need. These funds are also intended to encourage cross-regional collaboration among the 19 opioid settlement regions.

Who can apply for Infrastructure Share funds?

The primary applicant must be a regional opioid abatement council, a participating local government (county or municipality), or Colorado state government entity.

Nongovernmental entities, such as not-for-profit organizations, may be part of the collaborative partnership proposed in the application with a governmental entity acting as the Applicant and fiscal sponsor.

Who is in charge of the Infrastructure Share?

The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council (COAC) is responsible for the distribution and oversight of the funds from the Infrastructure Share. The COAC is comprised of subject matter expects and local government representatives appointed by the state and local governments.

How do I apply?

The 2nd Round of Infrastructure Share funding will open in May. Application materials will be available on the COAC webpage (click here for the COAC page) in early May.

Applications will be due at the end of June and must submitted via email to COAC@coag.gov utilizing the provided application materials.
Opioid Settlement Funds Dashboard & Resources
To learn more about the Opioid Settlement Funds and how they are being distributed, you can check out the new Opioid Settlement Framework Dashboard.

The Opioid Response Unit also recently updated their resources page for both members of the community and for regions and local governments. You can find both linked below.
Or you can copy the links below:
Thank you for your partnership!