Baltimore to award $2 million from opioid restoration fund to community organizations

Baltimore City will award $2 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to local organizations through a competitive grant application process, according to the mayor's office. 

The announcement follows last year's recommendation by the Opioid Restitution Advisory Board, which urged the city to use settlement funds from lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

It also comes just one day after the city experienced its third mass overdose incident in four months.

Tier system for opioid grants

The Mayor's Office and the Office of Overdose Response released a timeline, allowing community organizations time to prepare their submissions before the application opens. The full application process begins on October 23, and can be found at this website.

The grants will be awarded in three tiers. Some groups could receive as much as $500,000. Applications will be evaluated based on need and impact.

Grant funds aim to boost access to low-barrier social support services and mobile treatment—particularly in areas disproportionately affected by overdose.

Here's the tier system for how the grants will be distributed:

• Tier 3 (up to $500,000) will be for increasing the availability of low-barrier mobile treatment services, especially for areas that are disproportionately affected by overdose but may not have the necessary number of services to meet the need. Tier 3 funding must include robust harm reduction services, the mayor's office said.
• Tier 2 (up to $250,000) is for increasing access to a full array of low-barrier harm reduction services, which include naloxone distribution, drug checking, syringe service programs, wound care, and other evidence-based strategies. Tier 2 funding must include robust harm reduction services.
• Tier 1 (up to $50,000) is for increasing access to low-barrier social support services, including housing, transportation, food assistance, education, and employment for people who use drugs and people with substance use disorders.

A boost to opioid-fighting organizations

Organizations on the ground say they've been doing this work with limited support and are ready for the chance to scale up.

"I'm a young person. I see the vision for Baltimore," said Young Elder, with the University of Maryland, Baltimore's Embrace Resource Center. "But our young people need investment, strategic investment, and wraparound services —that is what overdose prevention looks like."

The mayor said this initiative is only the beginning.

"This RFP is about investing back into the neighborhoods that have been the hardest hit by the overdose crisis, and keeping the priorities of Baltimore City residents front and center," Mayor Scott said.

Nonprofits, including the Powell Resource Center, hope this funding will help them build on their current efforts to combat the opioid issues.

"We are out here three times a week because we want to offer our service, offer a mental health substitute system, and we are out here just to give out orders, chips, candy. Some people haven't eaten for days," said Terrance Lunn, a manager at Powell Recovery Center Training Manager. "Let them know that if you need help, we're here." 

"Do what you can do today. Don't put off tomorrow, because tomorrow's not promised," added Linwood Hargrove, an outreach and residential coordinator at Powell Recovery Center.  

Penn North's recent mass overdose

Seven people were sent to the hospital, and 11 people in total overdosed in Baltimore's North Penn community on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Police said state and local first responders saw several people showing signs of an overdose around 11:38 a.m. Narcan was administered to multiple people.  

The hospitalized victims — six men and a woman — ranged in age between 30 and 60 years old, officers said. 

Police said outreach teams responded to the scene and distributed harm reduction supplies, including Narcan, test strips, safe-use kits, and other resources in the community. 

More than 30 overdoses in July

In early July, more than 30 people overdosed in the North Penn neighborhood. First responders said 27 of those victims overdosed on July 10.

Crews initially responded to the area of Pennsylvania and North Avenues for multiple reported overdoses. Once they arrived, a community member directed them to more unresponsive people. 

"It's a scary thing to hear about it, and to be a part of it," said neighbor Ree Moore. "It could have been me."