Rutherford Opioid Board requesting for funding proposals
Deadline April 15 for agencies with programs aimed at repairing damages caused by the opioid crisis
The Rutherford County Opioid Board seeks to form partnerships with agencies in the community to repair damages caused by the opioid crisis.
Proposals are being accepted now through April 15 for a 12-month funding cycle beginning July 1.
Proposal applications and all supporting resources are available online here: https://chhs.mtsu.edu/rcos/.
Interviews are available for members of the media to promote the request for proposals or those who wish to do a general story about the strategies Rutherford County is employing to combat the opioid crisis that is affecting communities across the state and nation.
In 2022, Rutherford County experienced 130 fatal overdoses, a 37% increase from 2019. To respond to this need, Rutherford County established the Rutherford Opioid Board in 2022 to oversee strategic dissemination of opioid abatement funds to repair and strengthen the community. These funds are provided to counties in Tennessee as part of a $26 billion national opioid lawsuit involving pharmaceutical distributors and a manufacturer, with Tennessee receiving $700 million in anticipated payouts over 18 years from 2021-2038.
With Rutherford County expecting to receive nearly $4.5 million in opioid abatement dollars from 2023-2026, the Rutherford Opioid Board established the MTSU Office of Prevention Science and Recovery to assist the county in evidence-based utilization of settlement dollars and to serve as a resource to other Tennessee counties.
Rutherford County has directed these funds as available for community and government organizations to apply for on a rolling basis to meet needs pertaining to local work addressing opioid use disorder. Organizations interested in applying for these funds can access the online application and review instructions on requirements for submission.
