Funding is available for Supplies, Access, Facilitation and Education (SAFE) programs in Illinois. The deadline to apply for SAFE funding is February 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CST.
The goal of SAFE programs is to reduce the adverse health, social, and economic consequences of substance use for persons in active use of substances within their community. Funding recipients will accomplish this goal by enhancing and expanding harm reduction services to ensure equitable access across diverse populations in areas hardest hit by the overdose crisis. Applicants must have at least two years of experience in offering services described as core practice areas for Community-based Harm Reduction Programs (CHRPs) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Harm Reduction Framework.
A total of $12,750,000 is available to be awarded for SAFE over a period of 3 years. A minimum of 14 organizations, at least one in each of seven (7) health regions, will be awarded SAFE funding. SAFE subrecipients shall accomplish the following objectives:
- Enhance and/or expand overdose prevention and harm reduction activities for persons in active use of substances.
- Engage persons who are in active use of substances in overdose prevention and harm reduction activities.
- Support distribution of opioid overdose reversal medication, safer drug use supplies, and harm/risk reduction information to individuals at risk of overdose.
- Facilitate overdose education and health education among community members generally and among persons in active use of substances specifically.
- Support individuals with referrals to services requested.
- Encourage individuals to take steps to reduce the negative personal and public health impacts of substance use.
Please note, the health regions used for these awards reflect the 2023 Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regions. IDPH implemented a new map in 2024.
The Illinois Department of Human Services/ Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR) has selected a Regional Care Coordination Agency (RCCA) to administer the grants equitably across the state's seven public health regions. The source of the funding is Illinois' share of the multistate opioid settlement agreements secured by the office of Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The RCCA, which is operated by Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., has posted the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the Illinois Opioid Settlements Initiative website or the Funding Opportunities page. Applications must be prepared and submitted using the online portal on the RCCA website. Interested applicants are encouraged to begin the process as soon as possible to ensure sufficient time to complete pre-qualification and pre-award requirements.
Continued funding is subject to appropriations and release of funds by the Illinois Department of Human Services. AHP is responsible for issuing and monitoring sub-awards. AHP must issue awards based on AHP's contracting periods with the State of Illinois. Funding periods for a notice of award (NOA) follow the State Fiscal Year (SFY). The notice of award is the anticipated date that an award letter would be received by a potential subrecipient (i.e., awardee).