May 3rd, 2022 by WCBC Radio

Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) is making $5 million available through its Competitive Grant Program for fiscal year 2023. The purpose of the grant program is to support programs and initiatives that address the opioid crisis. State agencies, local governments, and community-based organizations are eligible to apply. 

Applications will be scored based on how well they meet the greatest needs around the state and how well they support Maryland’s opioid crisis response goals outlined in the OOCC’s Inter-Agency Opioid Coordination Plan.

The deadline to apply for funding is Friday, May 27, 2022, at 5 p.m. EDT. Additional information about the program and instructions on how to apply can be found on the OOCC’s website under the “Grants'' tab.

The OOCC announced the funding opportunity at its 2022 Virtual Substance Use Disorder Best Practices Conference on April 21, 2022. The conference brought together representatives from state, local, and private organizations to discuss their successes and lessons learned from their efforts to implement opioid-related programs and services across the state.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Resiliency in Action.” The event featured presentations and collaborative sessions on topics, such as the importance of recovery services and peer programs, the role of family support services, addressing stigma surrounding individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and SUD treatment programs, how to use public health data to improve prevention programs, resources for individuals involved in the criminal justice system with SUD, and harm reduction initiatives. 

Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, who chairs Maryland’s Inter-Agency Heroin and Opioid Coordinating Council, opened the event by highlighting the work of the Hogan-Rutherford Administration to address the opioid crisis. He also thanked conference participants for their shared commitment to providing support for individuals with substance use disorders. 

“Preventing overdose deaths and increasing support for individuals living with substance use disorder has been our administration's priority since day one,” said Lt. Governor Rutherford. “The opioid crisis is a dynamic and multi-faceted challenge, and it is going to take all of us working together and sharing our experience and expertise to keep making progress.”

This year’s event was the third annual conference hosted by the OOCC, which serves as the principal coordinator of the state’s opioid crisis response efforts. A recording of the 2022 conference can be viewed on the OOCC’s website.  

“I am always blown away by the incredible amount of collective knowledge and passion in this community,” said OOCC Executive Director Robin Rickard. “The opioid crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time, but I know that by continuing to work together and sharing what we know works, we will make a positive difference.”