Due to the extensive damage and loss of life caused by the opioid crisis that was brought on by the unethical and over-prescribing of opioid medications, the state of Tennessee will be receiving over $1 billion over the next 18 years in settlement funds from several large corporations. Lewis County has been allocated a portion of these funds, which will be received in annual payments. The County has established the Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator to work with the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service SMART Initiative Team to oversee the application process and the spending of these funds to ensure they are used to remediate the opioid crisis and save lives. The Administrator will invite community organizations to apply for these funds annually with the main objective of saving lives. 

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Availability of Funds

The selection process for funding will utilize a competitive process, and the number of awards will be dependent on the amount of funds available for annual allocation.  The amount of funds available and dates of the application submissions and awards will differ annually. The amount of funds available for the 2025 funding cycle will be $66,088.40, and proposals will be accepted between October 15th, 2024 and November 15th, 2024. 

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Up to 20% of the available funds can be held back at the discretion of the Lewis County Administrator each funding cycle for urgent needs that may arise between annual funding periods. If the holdback funds are not allocated prior to the next funding cycle, they will be included in the total amount available for distribution. 

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Eligibility

Applications will be accepted from any organization that serves residents of Lewis County but will only be distributed to those that provide services that fall within the approved remediation uses set forth by the TN Opioid Abatement Council, listed below in Allowable Uses of Funds and outlined in Exhibit E. If an applying organization is located outside of Lewis County, funds will only be awarded to that organization if they are used to serve Lewis County residents. The Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator will dispense funds in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations that counties must adhere to when allocating funds to community organizations.  https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/mentalhealth/documents/OAC_Remediation_List_Revised_10-10-22.pdf 

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Required Documents for Application Submission

Proposals are due by November 15th, 2024, and must be submitted to the Lewis County Mayor's Office by emailing coo@lewiscountytn.gov with the following required documents:

• Application for funding

• Completed budget template

• Current annual operating budget

• State certification, licensure, or accreditation if applicable

• Letters of support from any project partners or collaborators if applicable

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Selection and Award Process

The Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator in  partnership with the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service SMART Initiative will review and score all applications received. Scores, along with other factors, will be considered when making funding decisions. These factors may include county priorities, community needs, funds available, cost-effectiveness, and federal and state regulations. If the total amount requested is higher than the total amount available for distribution, applicants may be contacted to discuss possible project and/or budget revisions.

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The Lewis County Board of Commissioners will have final approval of any funding recommendations provided by the Lewis County Opioid Abatement Fund Administrator and the UT SMART Initiative. Applicants may be expected to prepare a Power Point and present to county officials about their project. 

 

 Notice of award is expected to occur by December 16th, 2024. Following the notice of award, the organizations will be contacted to discuss the contract process and specific metrics that must be reported back to the county.​ The funding period will be 12 months in duration beginning January 1st, 2025 unless an alternative project start date is agreed upon by the awardee and Lewis County Opioid Abatement Administrator. 

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Allowable Uses of Funds & Funding Restrictions

Awarded funds cannot be used for administrative or indirect costs. Activities must meet the definition of opioid remediation, be evidence - based strategies or promising practices, and align with the core strategies and allowable uses outlined by Exhibit E. Core strategies include: 

• Naloxone or other FDA-approved drugs to reverse opioid overdoses

• Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT) distribution and other opioid-related treatment

• Address the needs of pregnant and postpartum women

• Expanding treatment for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

• Expansion of warm hand-off programs and recovery services

• Treatment for incarcerated populations

• Prevention programs

• Expanding syringe service programs

• Evidence-based data collection and research analyzing the effectiveness of the abatement strategies within the state

 https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/mentalhealth/documents/OAC_Remediation_List_Revised_10-10-22.pdf 

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Requirements if Awarded Funding

Organizations awarded funding are required to: 

• Utilize funds within the defined funding period as agreed upon in the contract. If those funds are not used as agreed in the contract the applicant may

  • Return any remaining funds to the Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator at the end of the funding period, OR​

  • Request and extension to use the funds past the funding period, OR

  • Request an amendment to their current contract to use the remaining funds for additional strategies

• Ensure utilization of funds supplements, rather than supplants, existing funding

• Ensure all funds are used in alignment with remediation uses approved by the TN Opioid Abatement Council as described above

• Ensure funds are not used for administrative or indirect costs

• Provide data on program outputs, outcomes, impact, and effectiveness as determined by the Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator

• Complete and submit required quarterly and annual reports to the county

• Prepare a Power Point and present to county officials about the project

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Reporting Requirements

Organizations should provide quarterly progress reports to coo@lewiscountytn.gov starting April 14th, 2025, or 14 days after the first project quarter if an alternative date is agreed upon. The reports must outline the following:

• Staff working on the project

• Community partners involved with the project

• Challenges and barriers experienced within the associated timeframe

• Successes experienced within the associated timeframe

• Anticipated next steps

• Strategies addressed

• Number of Lewis County residents served within settlement funding

• All project-specific metrics determined by the Lewis County Opioid Fund Administrator

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An annual report is to be provided at project close by January 1st, 2026, or 30 days after project close if an alternative date is agreed upon. The annual report must include all the above data and be submitted to coo@lewiscountytn.gov.