HRSA-26-036 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Planning

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Rural Health Research Dissemination Program. The purpose of this program is to fund an entity to disseminate and promote rural health services research to broad audiences, such as decision makers and rural stakeholders at national, state, and community levels. FORHP funds health services research through the Rural Health Research Center (RHRC) Program and other cooperative agreements. The successful applicant for this program will develop and maintain a website that catalogs this research so that it is easily and freely accessible to the public. The successful applicant will also develop and maintain strategies to disseminate this research through a variety of innovative mechanisms including (but not limited to) a listserv, social media accounts, presentations, and exhibits at national conferences, and webinars.

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Planning supports organizations in rural communities to build the partnerships and foundational capacity needed to develop, implement and sustain a comprehensive system of substance use disorder (SUD) and related services. RCORP"s focus is on opioid misuse and its impact on rural America. However, HRSA recognizes that people who misuse opioids often struggle with other substances as well, including alcohol. Individuals struggling with SUD, including opioid use disorder (OUD), need a continuum of mental, behavioral, and related social supports. RCORP-Planning helps address these needs in a comprehensive way.This program is intended for rural communities that may find the logistics or requirements of larger, more complex federal grant programs to be barriers to accessing start-up support. Funding will serve as a critical first step to creating SUD service systems that make care easy to access, strengthen the behavioral health workforce, and have strong community buy-in. It will help prepare communities to provide sustainable prevention, treatment, recovery, and other supportive services that:reduce substance use initiation and misuse,address the mental, behavioral, and psychosocial needs of people who use illicit substances or misuse alcohol, or are in recovery from substance use problems, andreduce disease and death related to substance use problems, including OUD, in high-risk rural communities.The intent of this program is to fund planning activities only. Funds may not be used for direct service delivery.

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)–Impact funds rural communities to drive measurable improvements in access to integrated, coordinated treatment and recovery services for substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD). Its long-term aim is to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with SUD and enable sustained recovery and well-being.The program supports:New or expanded evidence-based SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural areas;Coordination across health and supportive social services to enable sustained, long-term recovery;A larger, more responsive workforce to address SUD-related needs; andMulti-sector community networks to strengthen and sustain local service delivery.The focus of RCORP-Impact is on reducing the impact of opioid misuse on rural America. However, HRSA recognizes that people who misuse opioids often struggle with other substances as well, including alcohol. Therefore, RCORP-Impact supports a comprehensive approach to address all SUD, including OUD, within a continuum of mental, behavioral, and related social supports.