TOPEKA – The Kansas Fights Addiction (KFA) Grant Review Board has approved a third round of funding, totaling $6 million, to support substance use disorder (SUD) services across the state, announced Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Eligible organizations serving Kansans can now apply for this funding through a Request for Proposal (RFP) grant application process. This funding comes from money recovered by the state of Kansas through opioid legal settlements. The KFA board is prioritizing strategies related to treatment, recovery, harm reduction, and linkages to care as established by the Kansas Prescription Drug and Opioid Advisory Committee in its 2023-2027 state strategic plan.
Eligibility is limited to state agencies, local and county governments, and nonprofit organizations that provide services in Kansas aimed at preventing, reducing, treating, or otherwise addressing substance use disorders. Applicants must also release all legal claims arising from covered conduct against each defendant named in the opioid settlement agreements.
Organizations may apply for up to $300,000 in grant funding through this third RFP, with each grant having a 12-month budget period.
The Kansas Fights Addiction Act was enacted in 2021 by the Kansas Legislature and authorized the creation of the KFA board. Sunflower Foundation, a statewide health philanthropy based in Topeka, serves as the administrator for the KFA grant program.
In fall 2023, the KFA board awarded more than $10 million in support of 59 projects across Kansas aimed at providing SUD services. In December 2023, Sunflower Foundation and the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) began conducting a year-long comprehensive statewide needs assessment of SUD systems and related work in Kansas. This assessment will guide future long-term investment strategies of the KFA board.
The goal of these rounds of funding is to infuse resources into communities battling the opioid epidemic while completing the statewide needs assessment. Work on this assessment continues.
Organizations interested in applying for the third round of KFA funding must submit a confirmation of intent by 5 p.m., July 12. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., August 2. Detailed information on deadlines and submissions can be found on Sunflower Foundation’s KFA webpage.
An informational webinar about this third RFP is scheduled from 1 to 2 p.m., June 26.
The fourth round of KFA funding will prioritize strategies related to prevention, providers and health systems, public safety, and first responders. It is anticipated to open on August 5.
Kansas has reached multiple settlements with major pharmaceutical companies as part of its efforts to bring accountability to those that fueled the opioid-addiction crisis and provide funds for addiction services. These settlements are expected to result in over $340 million being received by Kansas through 2038.
Additional information about the KFA board and opioid settlements is available at ag.ks.gov/about-the-office/affiliated-orgs/kansas-fights-addiction-act-grant-review-board.
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