Opioid Abatement Grant Award

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office is administering the 2025 Opioid Abatement Grant, overseen by the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board. This Board, composed of nine members appointed by state officials, manages the distribution of funds derived from legal settlements and judgments with pharmaceutical supply chain entities related to the opioid crisis. For 2025, approximately $29 million is available for grants, following an initial appropriation of $23 million and additional allocations, with $12 million previously awarded in 2024. This grant aims to address the opioid crisis in Oklahoma, which has evolved through four waves, with the most recent involving co-use of opioids like fentanyl and stimulants like methamphetamine. The grant supports evidence-based opioid abatement strategies including medication-assisted treatment, contingency management, recovery housing, supported employment services, and naloxone distribution. School-based prevention, family skills training, integration of services into healthcare, and other proven approaches may also be funded with adequate justification. Eligibility is limited to political subdivisions within Oklahoma, including municipalities, counties, school districts (including technology districts), and public trusts with eligible beneficiaries. Institutions within the state higher education system may be eligible beginning November 2025, pending legislative approval. Applications must be submitted through a new digital portal, which opens on May 12, 2025, and closes on June 11, 2025. Grant awards will be announced by July 31, 2025, with funding rollouts and appeals being heard through August and September. Applicants must submit a single application, though multiple projects may be proposed within it. Collaborative regional projects are encouraged and higher funding limits apply to multi-entity submissions. Applications will be evaluated using a rubric focused on evidence-based practices, alignment with local needs, implementation feasibility, collaboration, and sustainability. A five-point scoring system ranges from “unsatisfactory” to “excellent.” Applicants are advised to avoid non-priority strategies or unsupported proposals, and budgets must align with project goals. Awarded grants will be disbursed quarterly and in advance (forward funding). No matching funds are required, and subgrants are not allowed, though contracting for goods and services is permitted. Grants will be issued for a three-year period, and reporting is required quarterly, with retention of records for at least seven years. Salaries can be funded if they support new or expanded abatement efforts initiated after January 1, 2015. Indirect costs must not exceed 5%. Website development is not an allowable expense. Applicants can refer to resources provided by the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health for data and best practices. All questions must be submitted by May 12, 2025, for inclusion in the Q&A document published on the grant website. Ongoing assistance is provided by Healthy Minds and The Steadman Group, who support technical issues, compliance, evaluation, and grant closeout procedures.