MEDIA AND EDUCATION SERVICES FOR HARM REDUCTION MESSAGING

ERIE COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) TO PROVIDE MEDIA AND EDUCATION SERVICES FOR HARM REDUCTION MESSAGING RFP #2023-047VF July 11, 2023 Gale R. Burstein, MD, MPH, FAAP, Commissioner Department of Health EDWARD A. RATH COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING 95 FRANKLIN STREET BUFFALO, NEW YORK 14202 2 COUNTY OF ERIE, NEW YORK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (“RFP”) # __________________ TO PROVIDE MEDIA AND EDUCATION SERVICES FOR HARM REDUCTION MESSAGING I. BACKGROUND The County of Erie, New York (the “County”) is currently seeking proposals from qualified organizations (“Proposer”) interested in providing media and education services to promote harm reduction messages. Proposers interested in providing these services are invited to respond to this request. It is the County's intent to select the Proposer(s) that provides the best solution for the County's needs. The County anticipates that contracts from this RFP would be for a period of 24 months commencing no earlier than November 1, 2023. The County

reserves the right to amend this RFP, reject any or all of the proposals, or any part thereof, submitted in response to this RFP, and reserves the right to waive any irregularities or informalities, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to request additional information from any Proposer, and to award negotiated contracts to one or more Proposers. This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the County to pay any costs incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract with any firm. The County will only contract with firms that do not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status or any other status protected by New York State and Federal laws. Qualified respondents can find the most recent Opiate Epidemic Task Force data and resources at https://www3.erie.gov/health/trainings-presentations-publications-resources . II. FUNDING AND BUDGET A total up to $1,000,000 (one million) over 24-month period is potentially available. One or more vendors may be selected. Contracts may receive a no-cost extension at the County’s discretion. The County will make the final determination as to whether multiple projects will be funded, with an emphasis on making the largest possible impact. The award is contingent upon available funding and allowed uses as set by the opioid settlements (attachment A). Note: Administrative costs may not exceed 10% of requested funds. III. PROPOSAL TIMEFRAMES The following schedule is for informational purpose only. The County reserves the right to amend this schedule at any time. Issue RFP: July 11, 2023 Questions due: July 21, 2023, 4 p.m. Answers posted: July 26, 2023 Proposals Due: September 1, 2023, 4 p.m. Selection Made By: October 2023 Contract Signed: Following all necessary County approvals https://www3.erie.gov/health/trainings-presentations-publications-resources 3 IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1. Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically avoiding the use of elaborate promotional materials beyond what is sufficient to provide a complete, accurate and reliable presentation. Specific instructions for the proposal format and content are outlined below. 2. One (1) original (paper) and one (1) PDF copy (by email) of the full proposal shall be submitted. Proposals MUST be signed using the attached Schedule A: Proposer Certification. Unsigned proposals will be rejected. 3. Submission of the proposals shall be directed to: Cheryll Moore, Opiate Epidemic Task Force Cheryll.moore@erie.gov Edward A. Rath County Office Building 95 Franklin Street, 9th Floor Buffalo, NY 14202 All proposals must be delivered to the above office on or before September 1, 2023 at 4 p.m. Proposals received after the above date and time will not be considered. The County is under no obligation to return proposals. 4. Requests for clarification of this RFP must be written and submitted to Cheryll Moore at the above address or at cheryll.moore@erie.gov no later than July 21 at 4 p.m. A list of questions and answers will be posted on the County website by July 26, 2023. No communications of any kind will be binding against the County, except for the formal written responses to any request for clarification. 5. Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation to the County to clarify or elaborate on the written proposal. Those Proposers will be notified to arrange specific times. 6. No proposal will be accepted from nor any agreement awarded to any Proposer that is in arrears upon any debt or in default of any obligation owed to the County. Additionally, no agreement will be awarded to any Proposer that has failed to satisfactorily perform pursuant to any prior agreement with the County. 7. Information on the Standard Insurance Provisions required of agencies selected as a contractor of this service is included in this RFP. This document is for informational purposes only, and is not to be submitted by the Proposer for the purposes of this RFP. 8. All potential contract-holders with Erie County shall agree to comply with Executive Order 13 (2014), and the Agency shall make such records available, upon request, to the County’s Division of Equal Employment Opportunity for review. All contract holders will be required to sign the Erie County Equal Pay Certification (attached). The County shall have the right, upon reasonable notice and at reasonable times, to inspect the books and records of the Agency, its offices and facilities, for the purpose of verifying information supplied in the Erie County Equal Pay Certification and for any other purpose reasonably related to confirming the Agency’s compliance with Erie County Executive Order No. 13 (2014). Violation of the provisions of Executive Order 13 (2014), which is attached hereto and made a part hereto and made a part hereof, can constitute grounds for the immediate termination of a contract, and may constitute grounds for determining that a bidder is not qualified to participate in future county contracts. 9. Certified Minority Business Enterprise/ Women’s Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) proposers should include the Erie County MBE/WBE Certification letter with their proposal. 10. Proposers who operate a Veteran-Owned Business should include the letter indicating their company is 51% or more veteran-owned with their proposal. 11. All Proposers must disclose the name, title, and department of any employee or officer who was an employee or officer of Erie County within the 12 months immediately prior to the proposal. mailto:Cheryll.moore@erie.gov 4 12. All Proposers must provide a list of at least 3 references from community partners and collaborators or an individual with knowledge of and experience with the specific services being offered. 13. All Proposers must provide a list of all prime contractors and subcontractors with whom their agency does business. V. SCOPE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REQUIRED SCOPE OF WORK Erie County and the Erie County Department of Health are seeking an organization or organizations to provide media and education services to promote harm reduction messages to Erie County residents. Target audiences for this contract would include people in Erie County who are at-risk for opioid overdoses and death. Secondary audiences would include people who use opioids and other substances, and family members of people who use opioids and other substances. Qualified respondents will demonstrate the ability to work with ECDOH staff and other county departments, Opiate Epidemic Task Force stakeholders, community partners and commercial/media advertisers. They will also demonstrate the capacity to design, produce, place and distribute advertising and marketing materials that are appropriate for targeted audiences, including but not limited to video and audio scripts; video and radio commercials; billboards; signage and flyers; direct mail; social media content; social media campaigns; paid search engine results; community presentations (in-person or through technology); movie theater advertising; other advertising platforms. A timeline of deliverables and phases are greatly encouraged. Qualified respondents will explain their process and/or philosophy of incorporating consumer and community input into their workplan (e.g., focus groups, demographic research, surveys, key informant interviews). A research phase may be included in the proposal. It is strongly encouraged to reference resources such as the New York State Opioid Dashboard, CHARMS data, and Opiate Epidemic Task Force materials to demonstrate a knowledge of the current issues and efforts being made within Erie County. Qualified respondents should explicitly state the demographics of target populations they are trying to reach along with sample messaging to show an understanding of the current trends of opioid use and overdose data. Qualified respondents are encouraged to include a list of community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, and other non-government organizations they have or are currently working with to demonstrate their outreach capabilities. It is also encouraged to include a list of media organizations the respondent has or is working with currently to understand what level of outreach and messaging would be included. Qualified respondents should be familiar with the NYS Language Access Plan for broader messaging and materials when applicable. Editable graphic templates and creative media will be provided to Erie County for perpetual use and future editing. Please include any ideas or resources that are not included in this RFP, but that may support the objectives listed in this RFP. Other requirements • No bar from contracting with the State of New York or the federal government during the last five years • Previous engagement in communications and/or outreach services • Cultural competency to have meaningful engagement with audiences where it expects to work on this initiative • Submit required data and abide by designated documentation requirements in a timely manner instructed by County in order to claim reimbursement for services 5 Once selected, the successful respondent/respondents will work with Erie County to build a comprehensive budget for research and design services, printing, advertising placement, video production, social media campaigns, and related activities. PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND DATA COLLECTION • A workplan will be submitted to the County with quarterly SMART objectives and measures. • Data and benchmarks regarding type of media and reach. VI. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS UNDERSTANDINGS Please take notice, by submission of a proposal in response to this request for proposals, the Proposer agrees to and understands: • that any proposal, attachments, additional information, etc. submitted pursuant to this Request for Proposals constitute merely a suggestion to negotiate with the County and is not a bid under Section 103 of the New York State General Municipal Law; • submission of a proposal, attachments, and additional information shall not entitle the Proposer to enter into an agreement with the County for the required services; • by submitting a proposal, the Proposer agrees and understands that the County is not obligated to respond to the proposal, nor is it legally bound in any manner whatsoever by submission of same; • that any and all counter-proposals, negotiations or any communications received by a proposing entity, its officers, employees or agents from the County, its elected officials, officers, employees or agents, shall not be binding against the County, its elected officials, officers, employees or agents unless and until a formal written agreement for the services sought by this RFP is duly executed by both parties. • In addition to the foregoing, by submitting a proposal, the Proposer also understands and agrees that the County reserves the right, and may at its sole discretion; exercise the following rights and options with respect to this Request for Proposals: • To reject any or all proposals; • To issue amendments to this RFP; • To issue additional solicitations for proposals; • To waive any irregularities or informalities in proposals received after notification to Proposers affected; • To select any proposal as the basis for negotiations of a contract, and to negotiate with one or more of the Proposers for amendments or other modifications to their proposals; • To conduct investigations with respect to the qualifications of each Proposer; • To exercise its discretion and apply its judgment with respect to any aspect of this RFP, the evaluation of proposals, and the negotiations and award of any contract; • To enter into an agreement for only portions (or not to enter into an agreement for any) of the services contemplated by the proposals with one or more of the Proposers; • To select the proposal that best satisfies the interests of the County and not necessarily on the basis of price or any other single factor; • To interview the Proposer(s); • To request or obtain additional information the County deems necessary to determine the ability of the Proposer; 6 • To modify dates; • All proposals prepared in response to this RFP are at the sole expense of the Proposer, and with the express understanding that there will be no claim, whatsoever, for reimbursement from the County for the expenses of preparation. The County assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind for costs incurred in the preparation or submission of any proposal; • While this is a RFP and not a bid, the County reserves the right to apply the case law under New York State General Municipal Law § 103 regarding bidder responsibility in determining whether a Proposer is a responsible vendor for the purpose of this RFP process; and • The County is not responsible for any internal or external delivery delays which may cause any proposal to arrive beyond the stated deadline. To be considered, proposals MUST arrive at the place specified herein and be time stamped prior to the deadline. EVALUATION The following criteria, not necessarily listed in order of importance, will be used to review the proposals. The County reserves the right to weigh its evaluation criteria in any manner it deems appropriate: • The Proposer’s demonstrated capability to provide the services. • Evaluation of the professional qualifications, personal background and resume(s) of individuals involved in providing services. • The Proposer’s experience in performing the proposed services. • The Proposer’s financial ability to provide the services. • A determination that the Proposer has submitted a complete and responsive proposal as required by this RFP. • An evaluation of the Proposer’s projected approach and plans to meet the requirements of this RFP. • The Proposer’s presentation at and the overall results of any interview conducted with the Proposer. • Proposers MUST sign the Proposal Certification attached hereto as Schedule A. Unsigned proposals will be rejected. • Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation to the County to clarify or elaborate on the written proposal. • No proposal will be accepted from nor any agreement awarded to any Proposer that is in arrears upon any debt or in default of any obligation owed to the County. Additionally, no agreement will be awarded to any Proposer that has failed to satisfactorily perform pursuant to any prior agreement with the County. CONTRACT After selection of the successful Proposer, a formal written contract will be prepared by the County and will not be binding until signed by both parties and, if necessary, approved by the Erie County Legislature, the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority and the Office of the County Attorney. NO RIGHTS SHALL ACCRUE TO ANY PROPOSER BY THE FACT THAT A PROPOSAL HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE COUNTY FOR SUBMISSION TO THE ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE AND/OR IF NECESSARY THE ERIE COUNTY FISCAL STABILITY AUTHORITY FOR APPROVAL. THE APPROVAL OF SAID LEGISLATURE AND/OR AUTHORITY MAY BE NECESSARY BEFORE A VALID AND BINDING CONTRACT MAY BE EXECUTED BY THE COUNTY. INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE The Proposer accepts and agrees that language in substantially the following form will be included in the contract between the Proposer and the County: “In addition to, and not in limitation of the insurance requirements contained herein the Proposer agrees: 7 (a) that except for the amount, if any, of damage contributed to, caused by or resulting from the negligence of the County, the Proposer shall indemnify and hold harmless the County, its officers, employees and agents from and against any and all liability, damage, claims, demands, costs, judgments, fees, attorneys' fees or loss arising directly or indirectly out of the acts or omissions hereunder by the Proposer or third parties under the direction or control of the Proposer; and (b) to provide defense for and defend, at its sole expense, any and all claims, demands or causes of action directly or indirectly arising out of this Agreement and to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto. Upon execution of any contract between the Proposer and the County, the Proposer will be required to provide proof of the applicable insurance coverage. Insurance coverage in amount and form, as outlined in Schedule C, shall not be deemed acceptable until approved by the County Attorney. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS The Proposer accepts and agrees that language in substantially the following form will be included in the contract between the Proposer and the County: All deliverables created under this Agreement by the Proposer are to be considered “works made for hire”. If any of the deliverables do not qualify as “works made for hire”, the Proposer hereby assigns to the County all right, title and interest (including ownership of copyright) in such deliverables and such assignment allows the County to obtain in its name copyrights, registrations and similar protections which may be available. The Proposer agrees to assist the County, if required, in perfecting these rights. The Proposer shall provide the County with at least one copy of each deliverable. The Proposer agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County for all damages, liabilities, losses and expenses arising out of any claim that a deliverable infringes upon an intellectual property right of a third party. If such a claim is made, or appears likely to be made, the Proposer agrees to enable the County’s continued use of the deliverable, or to modify or replace it. If the County determines that none of these alternatives is reasonably available, the deliverable will be returned. All records compiled by the Proposer in completing the work described in this Agreement, including but not limited to written reports, source codes, studies, drawings, blueprints, negatives of photographs, computer printouts, graphs, charts, plans, specifications and all other similar recorded data, shall become and remain the property of the County. The Proposer may retain copies of such records for its own use.] NOTE: All contracts executed by the Erie County Department of Health will be posted electronically on the Department’s website. NON-COLLUSION The Proposer, by signing the proposal, does hereby warrant and represent that any ensuing agreement has not been solicited, secured or prepared directly or indirectly, in a manner contrary to the laws of the State of New York and the County of Erie, and that said laws have not been violated and shall not be violated as they relate to the procurement or the performance of the agreement by any conduct, including the paying or the giving of any fee, commission, compensation, gift, gratuity or consideration of any kind, directly or indirectly, to any County employee, officer or official. CONFLICT OF INTEREST All Proposers must disclose with their proposals the name of any officer, director or agent who is also an employee of the County. Further, all Proposers must disclose the name of any County employee who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of ten percent (10%) or more in the firm or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. 8 There shall be no conflicts in existence during the term of any contract with the County. The existence of a conflict shall be grounds for termination of a contract. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS By submitting a proposal, the Proposer represents and warrants that it is familiar with all federal, state and local laws and regulations and will conform to said laws and regulations. The preparation of proposals, selection of Proposers and the award of contracts are subject to provisions of all Federal, State and County laws, rules and regulations. CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL The New York State Freedom of Information Law as set forth in Public Officers Law, Article 6, Sections 84 et seq., mandates public access to government records. However, proposals submitted in response to this RFP may contain technical, financial background or other data, public disclosure of which could cause substantial injury to the Proposer's competitive position or constitute a trade secret. Proposers who have a good faith belief that information submitted in their proposals is protected from disclosure under the New York Freedom of Information Law shall: a) Insert the following notice in the front of its proposal: “NOTICE The data on pages ___ of this proposal identified by an asterisk (*) contains technical or financial information constituting trade secrets or information the disclosure of which would result in substantial injury to the Proposer’s competitive position. The Proposer requests that such information be used only for the evaluation of the proposal, but understands that any disclosure will be limited to the extent that the County considers proper under the law. If the County enters into an agreement with this Proposer, the County shall have the right to use or disclose such information as provided in the agreement, unless otherwise obligated by law.” and b) Clearly identify the pages of the proposals containing such information by typing in bold face, on the top of each page, the following: "THE PROPOSER BELIEVES THAT THIS INFORMATION IS PROTECTED FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER THE STATE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW." The County assumes no liability for disclosure of information so identified, provided that the County has made a good faith legal determination that the information is not protected from disclosure under applicable law or where disclosure is required to comply with an order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The contents of the proposal which is accepted by the County, except portions "Protected from Disclosure", may become part of any agreement resulting from this RFP. EFFECTIVE PERIOD OF PROPOSALS All proposals must state the period for which the proposal shall remain in effect (i.e. how much time does the County have to accept or reject the proposal under the terms proposed). Such period shall not be less than one hundred eighty (180) days from the proposal date. 9 PROPOSAL CONTENT In order for Proposers to be considered for an award, the terms, conditions and instructions contained in this RFP and attachments must be met. Any proposals which do not meet these criteria may be considered non-responsive. All proposals must be limited to fifteen (15) pages, not including required schedules and attachments. 1. RFP Coversheet. 2. A brief description of the Proposer, including its location, years in business, history and philosophy. Include an outline of the Proposer’s ownership, officers, and executive management. 3. A narrative describing the Proposer’s capabilities and unique qualifications, including all pertinent information that would substantiate the Proposer’s capabilities as they pertain to the specified services of this RFP. 4. Identify Proposer’s key contact personnel for project related matters and include respective resumes and detailed descriptions of past project roles. 5. Give the name and title of person(s) authorized to bind the Proposer, e-mail address, the main office address, and the telephone number (including area code). 6. Provide a listing and description of any experience in the past 5 years handling targeted communications, marketing campaigns or similar initiatives, including such information as budget, reach, medias used. 7. Include the signed Schedule A - Proposer Certification. 8. Include the signed Schedule B - Erie County Equal Pay Certification. 9. List of Officers and Board of Directors. 10. Provide any other information that you feel would distinguish your organization’s approach to the delivery of the requested services, including any prior experiences and successes. We are open to proposals that offer unique and creative partnerships as a response to our communication objectives. 10 ERIE COUNTY RFP COVERSHEET RFP # ____________ Name of Organization: Organizational Mailing Address: Executive Director: Executive Director’s Phone Numbers: Executive Director’s Email: Project Contact Person: Project Contact Person’s Phone Number: Project Contact Person’s Email: Agency Website: Federal Employer ID# (FEIN): Is agency debarred/suspended from receiving funds/doing business with the Federal government? Please provide DUNS #, if available: Is agency a non-profit or unit of government? If non-profit, please provide 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity ID # and date established as such: If non-profit, please provide roster of agency’s volunteer board: Please provide attachment Copy of agency’s most recent annual audit: Please provide attachment Is agency a Certified Minority Business Enterprise/ Women’s Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE)? Please provide the Erie County MBE/WBE Certification letter as attachment Is agency a Veteran-Owned Business? Please provide the letter indicating their company is 51% or more veteran-owned as attachment Name, title, and department of any employee or officer who was an employee or officer of Erie County within the 12 months immediately prior to the proposal: List of all prime and subcontractors that your agency does business with: Please provide attachment if more space needed 11 SCHEDULE A PROPOSER CERTIFICATION The undersigned agrees and understands that this proposal and all attachments, additional information, etc. submitted herewith constitute merely an offer to negotiate with the County of Erie (the “County”) and is NOT A BID. Submission of this proposal, attachments, and additional information shall not obligate or entitle the proposing entity to enter into a service agreement with the County for the required services. The undersigned agrees and understands that the County is not obligated to respond to this proposal nor is it legally bound in any manner whatsoever by the submission of same. Further, the undersigned agrees and understands that any and all proposals and negotiations shall not be binding or valid against the County, its directors, officers, employees or agents unless an agreement is signed by a duly authorized County officer and, if necessary, approved by the Erie County Legislature, the Office of the County Attorney and/or the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority. It is understood and agreed that the County reserves the right to reject consideration of any and all proposals including, but not limited to, proposals which are conditional or incomplete. It is further understood and agreed that the County reserves all rights specified in the Request for Proposals (RFP). It is understood and agreed that the undersigned, prior to entering into an agreement with Erie County, will provide proof of insurance in accordance with the instructions herein. It is represented and warranted by those submitting this proposal that except as disclosed in the proposal, no officer or employee of the County is directly or indirectly a party to or in any other manner interested in this proposal or any subsequent service agreement that may be entered into. ___________________________________________________________________ Proposer Agency Name By: ___________________________________________________________________ Name and Title 12 SCHEDULE B Erie County Equal Pay Certification In order to comply with Executive Order 13 dated November 6, 2014, we hereby certify that we are in compliance with federal law, including the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Federal Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 and New York State Labor Law Section 194 (together “Equal Pay Law”). The average compensation for female employees is not consistently below the average compensation for male employees, taking into account mitigating factors. We understand that this certification is a material component of this contract. Violation of the provisions of Executive Order 13, which is attached hereto and made a part hereof, can constitute grounds for the immediate termination of this contract and may constitute grounds for determining that a bidder is not qualified to participate in future county contracts. We have evaluated wages and benefits to ensure compliance with the Federal Equal Pay Law. ______________________________________ Signature Verification STATE OF _______________ ) COUNTY OF _____________ ) SS: A) ___________________________________________, being duly sworn, states he or she is the owner of (or a partner in) ________________________________________, and is making the foregoing Certification and that the statements and representations made in the Certification are true to his or her own knowledge. B) _______________________________________, being duly sworn, states that he or she is the Name of Corporate Officer _______________________________________, of _________________________________, Title of Corporate Officer Name of Corporation the enterprise making the foregoing Certification, that he or she has read the Certification and knows its contents, that the statements and representations made in the Certification are true to his or her own knowledge, and that the Certification is made at the direction of the Board of Directors of the Corporation. Sworn to before me this ______ Day of ______________, 20__ __________________________ 13 SCHEDULE C \ 14 ATTACHMENT A 15 Schedule B Approved Uses Support treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (SUD/MH) conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: PART ONE: TREATMENT A. TREAT OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD) Support treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (“OUD”) and any co-occurring Substance Use Disorder or Mental Health (“SUD/MH”) conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, those that: 1. Expand availability of treatment for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including all forms of Medication-Assisted Treatment (“MAT”) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2. Support and reimburse evidence-based services that adhere to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (“ASAM”) continuum of care for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions 3. Expand telehealth to increase access to treatment for OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions, including MAT, as well as counseling, psychiatric support, and other treatment and recovery support services. 4. Improve oversight of Opioid Treatment Programs (“OTPs”) to assure evidence-based or evidence-informed practices such as adequate methadone dosing and low threshold approaches to treatment. 5. Support mobile intervention, treatment, and recovery services, offered by qualified professionals and service providers, such as peer recovery coaches, for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions and for persons who have experienced an opioid overdose. 6. Provide treatment of trauma for individuals with OUD (e.g., violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or adverse childhood experiences) and family members (e.g., surviving family members after an overdose or overdose fatality), and training of health care personnel to identify and address such trauma. 7. Support evidence-based withdrawal management services for people with OUD and any co-occurring mental health conditions. 8. Provide training on MAT for health care providers, first responders, students, or other supporting professionals, such as peer recovery coaches or recovery outreach specialists, including telementoring to assist community-based providers in rural or underserved areas. 9. Support workforce development for addiction professionals who work with persons with OUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH conditions. 10. Offer fellowships for addiction medicine specialists for direct patient care, instructors, and clinical research for treatments. 11. Offer scholarships and supports for behavioral health practitioners or workers involved in addressing OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH or mental health conditions, including but not limited to training, scholarships, fellowships, loan repayment programs, or other incentives for providers to work in rural or underserved areas. 16 12. Provide funding and training for clinicians to obtain a waiver under the federal Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (“DATA 2000”) to prescribe MAT for OUD, and provide technical assistance and professional support to clinicians who have obtained a DATA 2000 waiver. 13. Disseminate of web-based training curricula, such as the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s Provider Clinical Support Service– Opioids web-based training curriculum and motivational interviewing. 14. Develop and disseminate new curricula, such as the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s Provider Clinical Support Service for Medication–Assisted Treatment. B. SUPPORT PEOPLE IN TREATMENT AND RECOVERY Support people in recovery from OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the programs or strategies that: 1. Provide comprehensive wrap-around services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including housing, transportation, education, job placement, job training, or childcare. 2. Provide the full continuum of care of treatment and recovery services for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including supportive housing, peer support services and counseling, community navigators, case management, and connections to community-based services. 3. Provide counseling, peer-support, recovery case management and residential treatment with access to medications for those who need it to persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 4. Provide access to housing for people with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including supportive housing, recovery housing, housing assistance programs, training for housing providers, or recovery housing programs that allow or integrate FDA-approved mediation with other support services. 5. Provide community support services, including social and legal services, to assist in deinstitutionalizing persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 6. Support or expand peer-recovery centers, which may include support groups, social events, computer access, or other services for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 7. Provide or support transportation to treatment or recovery programs or services for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 8. Provide employment training or educational services for persons in treatment for or recovery from OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 9. Identify successful recovery programs such as physician, pilot, and college recovery programs, and provide support and technical assistance to increase the number and capacity of high-quality programs to help those in recovery. 10. Engage non-profits, faith-based communities, and community coalitions to support people in treatment and recovery and to support family members in their efforts to support the person with OUD in the family. 11. Provide training and development of procedures for government staff to appropriately interact and provide social and other services to individuals with or in recovery from OUD, including reducing stigma. 12. Support stigma reduction efforts regarding treatment and support for persons with OUD, including reducing the stigma on effective treatment. 13. Create or support culturally appropriate services and programs for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, including new Americans. 17 14. Create and/or support recovery high schools. 15. Hire or train behavioral health workers to provide or expand any of the services or supports listed above. C. CONNECT PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP TO THE HELP THEY NEED (CONNECTIONS TO CARE) Provide connections to care for people who have—or are at risk of developing— OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, those that: 1. Ensure that health care providers are screening for OUD and other risk factors and know how to appropriately counsel and treat (or refer if necessary) a patient for OUD treatment. 2. Fund SBIRT programs to reduce the transition from use to disorders, including SBIRT services to pregnant women who are uninsured or not eligible for Medicaid. 3. Provide training and long-term implementation of SBIRT in key systems (health, schools, colleges, criminal justice, and probation), with a focus on youth and young adults when transition from misuse to opioid disorder is common. 4. Purchase automated versions of SBIRT and support ongoing costs of the technology. 5. Expand services such as navigators and on-call teams to begin MAT in hospital emergency departments. 6. Provide training for emergency room personnel treating opioid overdose patients on post-discharge planning, including community referrals for MAT, recovery case management or support services. 7. Support hospital programs that transition persons with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions, or persons who have experienced an opioid overdose, into clinically appropriate follow-up care through a bridge clinic or similar approach. 8. Support crisis stabilization centers that serve as an alternative to hospital emergency departments for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions or persons that have experienced an opioid overdose. 9. Support the work of Emergency Medical Systems, including peer support specialists, to connect individuals to treatment or other appropriate services following an opioid overdose or other opioid-related adverse event. 10. Provide funding for peer support specialists or recovery coaches in emergency departments, detox facilities, recovery centers, recovery housing, or similar settings; offer services, supports, or connections to care to persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions or to persons who have experienced an opioid overdose. 11. Expand warm hand-off services to transition to recovery services. 12. Create or support school-based contacts that parents can engage with to seek immediate treatment services for their child; and support prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery programs focused on young people. 13. Develop and support best practices on addressing OUD in the workplace. 14. Support assistance programs for health care providers with OUD. 15. Engage non-profits and the faith community as a system to support outreach for treatment. 18 16. Support centralized call centers that provide information and connections to appropriate services and supports for persons with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions. D. ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE-INVOLVED PERSONS Address the needs of persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions who are involved in, are at risk of becoming involved in, or are transitioning out of the criminal justice system through evidence-based or evidence- informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, those that: 1. Support pre-arrest or pre-arraignment diversion and deflection strategies for persons with OUD and any co- occurring SUD/MH conditions, including established strategies such as: a. Self-referral strategies such as the Angel Programs or the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (“PAARI”); b. Active outreach strategies such as the Drug Abuse Response Team (“DART”) model; c. “Naloxone Plus” strategies, which work to ensure that individuals who have received naloxone to reverse the effects of an overdose are then linked to treatment programs or other appropriate services; d. Officer prevention strategies, such as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (“LEAD”) model; e. Officer intervention strategies such as the Leon County, Florida Adult Civil Citation Network or the Chicago Westside Narcotics Diversion to Treatment Initiative; or f. Co-responder and/or alternative responder models to address OUD-related 911 calls with greater SUD expertise. 2. Support pre-trial services that connect individuals with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions to evidence-informed treatment, including MAT, and related services. 3. Support treatment and recovery courts that provide evidence-based options for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 4. Provide evidence-informed treatment, including MAT, recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions who are incarcerated in jail or prison. 5. Provide evidence-informed treatment, including MAT, recovery support, harm reduction, or other appropriate services to individuals with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions who are leaving jail or prison or have recently left jail or prison, are on probation or parole, are under community corrections supervision, or are in re-entry programs or facilities. 6. Support critical time interventions (“CTI”), particularly for individuals living with dual-diagnosis OUD/serious mental illness, and services for individuals who face immediate risks and service needs and risks upon release from correctional settings. 7. Provide training on best practices for addressing the needs of criminal justice-involved persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions to law enforcement, correctional, or judicial personnel or to providers of treatment, recovery, harm reduction, case management, or other services offered in connection with any of the strategies described in this section. 19 E. ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PREGNANT OR PARENTING WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING BABIES WITH NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME Address the needs of pregnant or parenting women with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions, and the needs of their families, including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome (“NAS”), through evidence-based or evidence informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, those that: 1. Support evidence-based or evidence-informed treatment, including MAT, recovery services and supports, and prevention services for pregnant women—or women who could become pregnant—who have OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, and other measures to educate and provide support to families affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. 2. Expand comprehensive evidence-based treatment and recovery services, including MAT, for uninsured women with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions for up to 12 months postpartum. 3. Provide training for obstetricians or other healthcare personnel who work with pregnant women and their families regarding treatment of OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 4. Expand comprehensive evidence-based treatment and recovery support for NAS babies; expand services for better continuum of care with infant-need dyad; and expand long-term treatment and services for medical monitoring of NAS babies and their families. 5. Provide training to health care providers who work with pregnant or parenting women on best practices for compliance with federal requirements that children born with NAS get referred to appropriate services and receive a plan of safe care. 6. Provide child and family supports for parenting women with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 7. Provide enhanced family support and child care services for parents with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 8. Provide enhanced support for children and family members suffering trauma as a result of addiction in the family; and offer trauma-informed behavioral health treatment for adverse childhood events. 9. Offer home-based wrap-around services to persons with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions, including but not limited to parent skills training. 10. Provide support for Children’s Services—Fund additional positions and services, including supportive housing and other residential services, relating to children being removed from the home and/or placed in foster care due to custodial opioid use. PART TWO: PREVENTION F. PREVENT OVER-PRESCRIBING AND ENSURE APPROPRIATE PRESCRIBING AND DISPENSING OF OPIOIDS Support efforts to prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Funding medical provider education and outreach regarding best prescribing practices for opioids consistent with the Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including providers at hospitals (academic detailing). 2. Training for health care providers regarding safe and responsible opioid prescribing, dosing, and tapering patients off opioids. 3. Continuing Medical Education (CME) on appropriate prescribing of opioids. 20 4. Providing Support for non-opioid pain treatment alternatives, including training providers to offer or refer to multi-modal, evidence-informed treatment of pain. 5. Supporting enhancements or improvements to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (“PDMPs”), including but not limited to improvements that: a. Increase the number of prescribers using PDMPs; b. Improve point-of-care decision-making by increasing the quantity, quality, or format of data available to prescribers using PDMPs, by improving the interface that prescribers use to access PDMP data, or both; or c. Enable states to use PDMP data in support of surveillance or intervention strategies, including MAT referrals and follow-up for individuals identified within PDMP data as likely to experience OUD in a manner that complies with all relevant privacy and security laws and rules. 6. Ensuring PDMPs incorporate available overdose/naloxone deployment data, including the United States Department of Transportation’s Emergency Medical Technician overdose database in a manner that complies with all relevant privacy and security laws and rules. 7. Increasing electronic prescribing to prevent diversion or forgery. 8. Educating dispensers on appropriate opioid dispensing. G. PREVENT MISUSE OF OPIOIDS Support efforts to discourage or prevent misuse of opioids through evidencebased or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Funding media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse. 2. Corrective advertising or affirmative public education campaigns based on evidence. 3. Public education relating to drug disposal. 4. Drug take-back disposal or destruction programs. 5. Funding community anti-drug coalitions that engage in drug prevention efforts. 6. Supporting community coalitions in implementing evidence-informed prevention, such as reduced social access and physical access, stigma reduction—including staffing, educational campaigns, support for people in treatment or recovery, or training of coalitions in evidence-informed implementation, including the Strategic Prevention Framework developed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”). 7. Engaging non-profits and faith-based communities as systems to support prevention. 8. Funding evidence-based prevention programs in schools or evidenceinformed school and community education programs and campaigns for students, families, school employees, school athletic programs, parentteacher and student associations, and others. 9. School-based or youth-focused programs or strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing drug misuse and seem likely to be effective in preventing the uptake and use of opioids. 10. Create or support community-based education or intervention services for families, youth, and adolescents at risk for OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 21 11. Support evidence-informed programs or curricula to address mental health needs of young people who may be at risk of misusing opioids or other drugs, including emotional modulation and resilience skills. 12. Support greater access to mental health services and supports for young people, including services and supports provided by school nurses, behavioral health workers or other school staff, to address mental health needs in young people that (when not properly addressed) increase the risk of opioid or another drug misuse. H. PREVENT OVERDOSE DEATHS AND OTHER HARMS (HARM REDUCTION) Support efforts to prevent or reduce overdose deaths or other opioid-related harms through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Increased availability and distribution of naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, individuals with OUD and their friends and family members, schools, community navigators and outreach workers, persons being released from jail or prison, or other members of the general public. 2. Public health entities providing free naloxone to anyone in the community. 3. Training and education regarding naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses for first responders, overdose patients, patients taking opioids, families, schools, community support groups, and other members of the general public. 4. Enabling school nurses and other school staff to respond to opioid overdoses, and provide them with naloxone, training, and support. 5. Expanding, improving, or developing data tracking software and applications for overdoses/naloxone revivals. 6. Public education relating to emergency responses to overdoses. 7. Public education relating to immunity and Good Samaritan laws. 8. Educating first responders regarding the existence and operation of immunity and Good Samaritan laws. 9. Syringe service programs and other evidence-informed programs to reduce harms associated with intravenous drug use, including supplies, staffing, space, peer support services, referrals to treatment, fentanyl checking, connections to care, and the full range of harm reduction and treatment services provided by these programs. 10. Expanding access to testing and treatment for infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C resulting from intravenous opioid use. 11. Supporting mobile units that offer or provide referrals to harm reduction services, treatment, recovery supports, health care, or other appropriate services to persons that use opioids or persons with OUD and any cooccurring SUD/MH conditions. 12. Providing training in harm reduction strategies to health care providers, students, peer recovery coaches, recovery outreach specialists, or other professionals that provide care to persons who use opioids or persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions. 13. Supporting screening for fentanyl in routine clinical toxicology testing. 22 PART THREE: OTHER STRATEGIES I. FIRST RESPONDERS In addition to items in section C, D and H relating to first responders, support the following: 1. Education of law enforcement or other first responders regarding appropriate practices and precautions when dealing with fentanyl or other drugs. 2. Provision of wellness and support services for first responders and others who experience secondary trauma associated with opioid-related emergency events. J. LEADERSHIP, PLANNING AND COORDINATION Support efforts to provide leadership, planning, coordination, facilitations, training and technical assistance to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Statewide, regional, local or community regional planning to identify root causes of addiction and overdose, goals for reducing harms related to the opioid epidemic, and areas and populations with the greatest needs for treatment intervention services, and to support training and technical assistance and other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 2. A dashboard to (a) share reports, recommendations, or plans to spend opioid New York Qualified Settlement Funds; (b) to show how opioid New York Qualified Settlement Funds have been spent; (c) to report program or strategy outcomes; or (d) to track, share or visualize key opioid- or health-related indicators and supports as identified through collaborative statewide, regional, local or community processes. 3. Invest in infrastructure or staffing at government or not-for-profit agencies to support collaborative, cross- system coordination with the purpose of preventing overprescribing, opioid misuse, or opioid overdoses, treating those with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, supporting them in treatment or recovery, connecting them to care, or implementing other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 4. Provide resources to staff government oversight and management of opioid abatement programs. K. TRAINING In addition to the training referred to throughout this document, support training to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, or strategies that may include, but are not limited to, those that: 1. Provide funding for staff training or networking programs and services to improve the capability of government, community, and not-for-profit entities to abate the opioid crisis. 2. Support infrastructure and staffing for collaborative cross-system coordination to prevent opioid misuse, prevent overdoses, and treat those with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, or implement other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic described in this opioid abatement strategy list (e.g., health care, primary care, pharmacies, PDMPs, etc.). L. RESEARCH Support opioid abatement research that may include, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Monitoring, surveillance, data collection and evaluation of programs and strategies described in this opioid abatement strategy list. 2. Research non-opioid treatment of chronic pain. 3. Research on improved service delivery for modalities such as SBIRT that demonstrate promising but mixed results in populations vulnerable to opioid use disorders. 23 4. Research on novel harm reduction and prevention efforts such as the provision of fentanyl test strips. 5. Research on innovative supply-side enforcement efforts such as improved detection of mail-based delivery of synthetic opioids. 6. Expanded research on swift/certain/fair models to reduce and deter opioid misuse within criminal justice populations that build upon promising approaches used to address other substances (e.g., Hawaii HOPE and Dakota 24/7). 7. Epidemiological surveillance of OUD-related behaviors in critical populations, including individuals entering the criminal justice system, including, but not limited to approaches modeled on the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (“ADAM”) system. 8. Qualitative and quantitative research regarding public health risks and harm reduction opportunities within illicit drug markets, including surveys of market participants who sell or distribute illicit opioids. 9. Geospatial analysis of access barriers to MAT and their association with treatment engagement and treatment outcomes.