Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Evaluation

Background
The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Evaluation (RCORP-Evaluation) is a cooperative agreement aimed at evaluating the impact of rural behavioral health strategies and methods employed under the RCORP initiative, and to develop evaluation tools and resources for use in rural communities to inform future community-led rural health initiatives. The program is authorized by Section 711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act, granting HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) authority to administer grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to provide TA and other activities as necessary to support activities related to improving health care in rural areas. The RCORP programs currently within the scope of the RCORP evaluation include various initiatives such as RCORP-Implementation, RCORP-MAT Expansion, RCORP-Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, and others.

The program aims to assess the extent to which RCORP strategies are reaching at-risk and high-need populations and advancing behavioral health equity.

Grant Details
The RCORP-Evaluation cooperative agreement has three primary goals:
1. Analyze, synthesize, and disseminate data and information regarding the extent to which the RCORP initiative has improved health care in rural areas;
2. Strengthen the capacity of RCORP award recipients to collect, report, and disseminate data to enhance the quality and sustainability of their behavioral health care activities;
3. Enhance rural communities’ ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to emerging behavioral health care issues, including substance use disorder (SUD)/opioid use disorder (OUD)-related issues that would further negatively affect rural communities.

The total available funding is approximately $5,000,000 annually with an estimated number of awards being one cooperative agreement per year. The period of performance is from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2027 (4 years). Eligible applicants include domestic public or private, non-profit and for-profit entities as well as domestic faith-based and community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations.

Eligibility Requirements
Cost sharing/matching is not required for this program.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for the grant is from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2027 (4 years).

Grant Value
The actual amount available will not be determined until enactment of the final FY 2023 federal appropriation.