Combating Overdose through Community-Level Intervention

Description

Overview Drug overdoses continue throughout the United States, claiming an alarming number of lives each year and is the leading cause of injury death in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle crashes since 2009.[1] According to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which show 107,375 predicted overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. By comparison, in May 2022, CDC released provisional overdose fatality data for the 12-month period ending in December 2021 of 107,622. In addition to the decrease in the number of predicted deaths, the rate of increase has also continued to slow in recent months. Whereas the rate of increase for the 12-month period ending in December 2021 was 14.9% when compared to the 12 months ending in December 2020, the rate of increase now stands at 12.5%. While these small reductions are promising, there is still a critical need to address overdoses at the local level. The new data release revealed other grim realities this past year: the most drug overdose deaths in a year; the most deaths from opioid overdoses; the most overdose deaths from stimulants like methamphetamine; the most deaths from the deadly class of synthetic opioids known as fentanyl. The drug overdose epidemic has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting new challenges to public health and public safety officials, medical professionals, local communities, and other stakeholders invested in curbing rates of accidental death. Preparing regional and community leaders to respond effectively to the public health emergency that is today’s drug overdose crisis, is essential for achieving the shared goal of preventing fatal overdose and saving lives. ONDCP expects to award one federal cooperative agreement under the Combating Overdose through Community-Level Intervention Initiative (COCLI) for a 1-year period, beginning approximately September 1, 2022. The successful non-federal entity (NFE) will conduct research activities that entail implementing and evaluating community-based efforts to fight the overdose epidemic. These activities will be focused on the regions of the United States with some of the highest rates of fatal and non-fatal overdoses and will work to coordinate the often-decentralized state and local efforts to assess and respond to overdoses. Efforts will also support and promote the partnership of law enforcement and public health agencies, as coordination and collaboration between these two groups is proving critical to addressing this epidemic. Efforts will also align with and be informed by related projects currently being conducted by ONDCP and CDC, and both agencies will work closely with the successful NFE. In particular, work conducted under this initiative will entail partnership with federally designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Programs, which are funded by ONDCP and currently partner with the CDC under the Overdose Response Strategy initiative. Goals, Objectives and What the Government is Supporting The assistance provided under this award will support the NFE’s performance of the award and fulfillment of the following performance areas: · Research and analyze 1) a range of existing community-based efforts to address overdoses and 2) current evidence-based and proven strategies to reduce overdose deaths; · Using the evidence-based approaches previously identified, implement or enhance community-based new or ongoing programs that aim to reduce overdose, particularly in the regions of the United States with the highest rates of fatal and non-fatal overdoses (priority will be given to proposals that make funding available to at least eight communities via subawards); · Once implemented, support the evaluation of these community-based efforts to assess their efficacy in reducing overdose and other harms of substance (mis)use, particularly in the regions of the United States with the highest rates of fatal and non-fatal overdoses; · Support and promote collaboration between public safety and public health agencies to ensure that overdose reduction efforts are aligned and that communities benefit from a comprehensive and coordinated response; and · Provide technical assistance to support implementation, evaluation, and reporting by prospective subaward recipients. Authorizing Statutes and Governing Regulations Applicable to this Funding Opportunity: The authority for this opportunity is the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, (Pub. L. No. 115-271), 21 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq. and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) applicable appropriations statutes providing funding to ONDCP for this purpose. The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards are applicable to the government and applicants, cooperative agreement applications, and cooperative agreement awards to non-federal entities. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200 et seq., as adopted in full by ONDCP via 2 C.F.R. Part 3603 et seq. B. Federal Award Information ONDCP expects to award one federal cooperative agreement under the Combating Overdose through Community-Level Intervention Initiative (COCLI), for a 1-year period, beginning approximately September 1, 2022. All applications and awards are subject to such additional requirements expressed in governing law. See 2 C.F.R. Part 200 et seq. ONDCP expects that it will make an award of financial assistance from this announcement in the form of a cooperative agreement. Estimated Amount and Length of Award Cooperative Agreement Amount: $3,000,000 Projected Award Date: No later than September 1, 2022 Projected Project Period 12 months [September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023] [1] Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1445–1452.

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