Adams County Opioid Abatement Grant
The Opioid Abatement Council, created in response to the national opioid settlement, is dedicated to ensuring these funds create lasting and meaningful change for individuals and families right here in Adams County.
View the timeline and additional information about funds that will be distributed to address issues impacting the Adams County community as a result of the opioid crisis below.
A Letter from the Opioid Abatement Council of Adams County
January 2025
The Opioid Abatement Council of Adams County continues to recognize the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on our community. Over the past five years, Adams County residents have accounted for an alarming 1 in 8 opioid-related overdose deaths in Colorado. Fentanyl, a particularly deadly opioid, remains the leading cause of such fatalities in our county. This stark reality highlights the urgent need to strengthen services related to fentanyl treatment, education, prevention, and other upstream efforts to mitigate this crisis.
In alignment with our ongoing commitment, we are pleased to announce the allocation of funding from the first two funding cycles have supported initiatives aimed at closing key service gaps identified by our stakeholders. As we enter this new funding cycle, we remain focused on addressing the critical needs of our community and are releasing a targeted RFP (Request for Proposals) to specifically address gaps around:
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Youth/Intensive Outpatient Programs
- Peer Support Systems
- Workforce Development and Training
Our strategy is rooted in data-driven decision-making, leveraging community insights and information from our Interactive Data Dashboard. This allows us to monitor the current state of the opioid crisis in Adams County, measure the impact of our regional efforts, and ensure that funding is directed where it can make the most significant difference. (Note: the RMP Team is finalizing the migration of the hub into a new infrastructure)
Our RFP process is intentionally designed to encourage collaboration, innovation, and the use of evidence-based practices. While we value proposals informed by nationally recognized outcomes and research-supported approaches, we also recognize the need for innovative ideas tailored to the unique needs of our community. We encourage organizations of all sizes to submit proposals that prioritize measurable outcomes, emphasize data tracking to evaluate impact, and showcase creative solutions—even if those organizations are still building their capacity for robust data-driven decision-making.
As we move forward, our goal remains clear: to tackle the opioid crisis head-on and improve the lives of Adams County residents. This work is complex, but through collaboration and innovation, we are confident in our ability to make a meaningful and lasting impact.
Together, we can build a safer and healthier future for Adams County.
-The Opioid Abatement Council of Adams County
Cycle 3 Applications
The Opioid Abatement Council is excited to announce the opening of Cycle 3 for the Adams County Opioid Abatement Grant!
This funding opportunity is available to organizations dedicated to addressing the opioid crisis in Adams County. While previous cycles included a broader scope, this round focuses on critical gaps facing Adams County. The Council is accepting applications from organizations addressing one or more of the following critical gaps in services:
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- Youth/Intensive Outpatient Programs
- Peer Support Systems
- Workforce Development and Training |Funding for programs and services aimed at increasing the number of individuals qualified to address the opioid crisis in Adams County. This includes both training for new professionals entering the field and opportunities for those already working in the field to enhance their credentials, expand their expertise, and stay current with best practices
(This overview will be posted 1/24!)
Cycle 3 Funding Timeline (Updated 1.22.25)
| 1/24/25 | Application Posted | |||
| 2/5/25 AND 2/18/25 | RMP hosts virtual Key Driver Workshops (Recording and Toolkit also available on website) | |||
| 3/7/25 | Proposals Due | |||
| 3/17/25-3/28/25 | Vetting Committee conducts preliminary scoring (This window depends on the number of applications received) | |||
| April 2025 (TBD) | Opioid Abatement Council of Adams County Meets (VIRTUAL) to review vetting committee recommendations and determine if any additional information is needed ahead of making final decisions. | |||
| April-May 2025 | Applicants provide any clarifying information requested by the Council via email | |||
| May 2025 (TBD) | Opioid Abatement Council of Adams County Meets (VIRTUAL) to review additional information provided by applicants and make final funding determinations | |||
| May 2025 (TBD) | Council Funding Decisions are Presented to Adams County Board of County Commissioners For Approval | |||
| April-May 2025 | Grantees Meet with RMP Team to finalize Key Driver Tool (confirm KPIs they will report on and the targets set around each) | |||
| May-June 2025 | As Key Drivers are finalized, Adams County Government Team drafts contracts for each grantee | |||
| June 2025 | Contracts are signed with grantees |
Scoring Matrix
To understand how proposals will be scored, check out the scoring matrix that includes descriptions of what the Council is looking for below.
Virtual Key Driver Workshops
Applicants are asked to include a Key Driver as part of their application. In addition to the On-Demand session and Toolkit you can find below, there are two VIRTUAL workshop sessions being offered that can help walk you through what a Key Driver is and how to develop one for your application!
- February 5, 2025
- 10:00am-12:00pm
- February 18, 2025
- 1:00pm-3:00pm
Register at the link below!
On-Demand Key Driver Workshop
This workshop provides an easy-to-follow introduction to the Key Driver Tool, which details the specific activities of your proposal and illustrates how they ladder up to important community level outcomes. The key driver is an essential component of the application process for this funding cycle.
Key Driver and Data Toolkit
The Rocky Mountain Partnership Team has put together an interactive key driver and data toolkit packed with content from the workshop, templates, and additional resources. Click the button below to view the toolkit!
Grant Extensions for Current Grantees
If your organization received funding during Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 of the Adams County Opioid Abatement Grant, you are eligible to apply for an extension of funding to continue your project.
Key Details for Current Grantees:
- Eligibility: This opportunity is open to all grantees funded in Cycle 1 (2023) and Cycle 2 (2024) who have already requested their second installment of funds and are up to date on quarterly KPI reporting.
- Streamlined Application: Since we already have much of your information on file, this is a truncated application. You will only be asked for updates, including:
- Any changes to your project or activities.
- Updates regarding your organization’s history or integrity.
- Rolling Deadlines: While this application does not have a formal due date, the Opioid Abatement Council will review any applications received by March 7, 2025 at their April 2025 meeting (Date TBD).
- The Council is finalizing an ongoing process for rolling deadlines and will share updates with current grantees as available.
For more information or assistance, please contact Ben Nash at BenNash@RMPBackbone.org.
(This overview will be posted 1/24!)
Cycle 2 Grantees
At the end of 2023 the Adams County Opioid Council convened to review applications and make final decisions regarding funding for cycle two. In total, roughly $3.8 million were awarded with about $3.5 million being reserved for targeted RFP recommended by the Key Driver Workgroup. This page will be updated with information regarding the targeted RFP as it is available. For now, you can find information about the funding that has been awarded in cycle two below:
Congratulations to the following cycle two grant recipients:
Grantee |
Amount Awarded |
|
New/Extend |
|
Brief Description |
| Adams County Health Department | $520,337 | New | Create a youth engagement team to identify and address the risk and protective factors contributing to overdose morbidity in at risk youth populations. Additionally, they will bolster the continuum of care for at risk families to ensure better outcomes with a Family Recovery Care Coordinator. | ||
| University of Colorado Hospital (#1) | $317,096 | New | Increase engagement, diagnosis, and management of patients with OUD through expansion of behavioral health services and the development of an interdepartmental care navigation program | ||
| Community Uplift Partnership (CUP) | $200,000 | New | Provide upstream education through the Youth Empowerment Program and expand this program into their three other coffee houses | ||
| University of Colorado School of Medicine | $243,027 | Extend | Improve identification of patients at risk for OUD, improve rates of MOUD initiation and improve rates of follow up in community care. This will be done by adding a virtual option, improving community partnerships and conducting direct follow up with patients, and implementing peer navigators with lived experience | ||
| University of Colorado Hospital (#2) | $32,616 | Extend | Grow the partnership with the emergency department by training ED staff members (social workers) to offer harm reduction supplies with associated education to patients. In addition, social workers will help patients map out pathways to permanent housing | ||
| Adams County Health Department | $1,084,648 (Reduced because of team coverage through current grant) | Extend | Continue increasing access to harm reduction supplies and prevention programming in Adams County. Additions from previous years programming include additional FTE to support the ability of Harm Reduction Specialist teams to remain in the field and supports for incarcerated individuals | ||
| 27J Schools | $268,560 | Full | Provide comprehensive supports to students including integrated school based mental health and substance use supports, a wraparound coordinator, education, and alternatives to suspension | ||
| YESS Institute | $199,179 | Full | Develop a comprehensive and impactful framework to develop a scalable Family Education Model for preventing youth substance misuse and promoting positive, lasting outcomes, while empowering Adams County parents and guardians. | ||
| Kids First Healthcare | $140,000 | Full | Support a new behavioral health program that emphasizes integrated, team-based care, school-based health centers, and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). | ||
| Stout Street Foundation | $220,495 | Partial | One Outreach Representative and two Certified Addiction Specialists to allow for improved outreach and better management of the current caseloads | ||
| City of Northglenn Crisis Response Unit | $202,500 | Full | Financial supports to justice involved individuals needing treatment and sober living | ||
| Creative Treatment Options | $234,332 | Full | Add a psychiatric medication prescriber and a primary care provider team to the ASAM Level 2.1 Intensive Outpatient Program offered through previous funding | ||
| Young People in Recovery | $136,732 | Full | Expand Peer Recovery Support Services for Youth and Young Adults to include a second Spanish speaking chapter | ||
| Total $3,799,522 |
 |
Jody Nowicki, RMP Senior Director of Stakeholder Engagement, serves as the Project Manager for this effort. Contact Jody at JodyNowicki@RMPBackbone.org with additional questions or to learn more. |