2024 The Women’s Fund Grant

The City of Naperville is offering reimbursement-based grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, with $100,000 total approved, for opioid remediation programs and services. The program's core mission and alignment with city strategic priorities are to directly combat the opioid crisis within Naperville and foster community well-being and safety by funding interventions that comply with Approved Abatement Programs under settlement restrictions. This initiative addresses a critical public health issue and represents a strategic priority to support comprehensive and evidence-based interventions in the community. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant program are Naperville residents directly or indirectly affected by opioid misuse, including individuals struggling with addiction, their families, and the broader community impacted by the crisis's social and health consequences. The overarching impact goals are centered on harm reduction, expanding treatment access, and preventing misuse. Specifically, the program aims to reduce opioid overdoses, expand access to treatment and recovery services, prevent opioid misuse, and promote harm reduction strategies, ultimately striving to create a healthier and safer environment for residents. The program prioritizes a range of services that qualify as Approved Abatement Programs. Key focuses include expanding the distribution of Naloxone or other FDA-approved overdose reversal drugs and providing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for uninsured or underinsured individuals. The grants will also support expanding treatment and recovery services such as residential care, intensive outpatient treatment, and recovery housing. Additional priorities include screening and treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, warm hand-off programs for individuals in recovery, evidence-based education in school-based and youth-focused settings, syringe service programs, community drug disposal programs, and public education campaigns. The city's theory of change appears to be that by strategically funding comprehensive, evidence-based interventions across the spectrum of prevention, treatment, and recovery, they can measurably interrupt the cycle of opioid misuse and its fatal consequences. Expected outcomes include a measurable reduction in opioid overdose fatalities and non-fatal overdoses, along with a decrease in opioid misuse rates, particularly among youth. The program anticipates an increase in the number of individuals receiving effective treatment and recovery support, improved support for vulnerable populations, and enhanced community awareness regarding prevention and safe disposal. Measurable results will be tracked using metrics such as the number of Naloxone kits distributed, the count of individuals served by treatment programs, participation rates in educational initiatives, and the volume of disposed medications.