Opioid Grants
ODJFS has received several discretionary awards to respond to the current opioid crisis. The purposes of the funds are:
- to help local areas better serve individuals who have opioid use disorder (OUD);
- to expand the number of workers in careers that help mitigate the effects of the crisis; and
- to reduce the incidence of opioid addiction through economic growth and gainful employment.
This web page provides technical assistance on the provision of workforce services to this target population and on the implementation of each grant available to the local areas.
General resources related to the opioid crisis and service provision include:
The RecoveryOhio Advisory
Council's recommendations -- including workforce development efforts -- to improve mental health and substance use
prevention, treatment, and recovery support services
in Ohio.
Website created by the Ohio Department of Health to help patients, health care providers, and the general public manage pain while avoiding drug misuse, dependency, and addiction.
Resources and materials to help local areas prevent and mitigate substance dependency, provide workforce services to individuals in treatment, and develop recovery-friendly workplaces.
Information on a series of free training courses provided by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) to educate workforce professionals and other partners on drug addiction and its impacts.
Employee wellness newsletter with guidance on building resilience and supervising workers who are in recovery.
August 2019 Opioid Forum
The following technical assistance documents were provided at the Opioid Forum held on Monday, August 5, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio:
Opioid Emergency Recovery Grant (OERG)
The $11 million Disaster National Dislocated Worker Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (referred to as "opioid grant 3") is available statewide to provide dislocated workers and long-term unemployed individuals with career and supportive services, training, and disaster relief employment in careers that will mitigate the effects of the opioid crisis. Below are technical assistance resources related to grant implementation:
Map of Opioid Emergency Recovery Grant Communities
Grouping of counties into service communities based on the impacts of the opioid crisis faced by each county.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter 17-06
Guidance on implementation of disaster recovery grants, including the definition of long-term unemployed individuals.
Opioid Grant Questions and Answers (version 1: November 13, 2019; Excel format)
ODJFS responses to frequently asked questions on eligibility, services, funding, and other topics.
Instructions for entering services under the special grant office in the state's workforce case management system.
CFIS Sub-Project Codes for OERG Financial Reporting
List of sub-project codes that local area fiscal staff should use to report OERG costs by category in CFIS.
Opioid Emergency Recovery Grant (OERG) Recorded Webinars
(Note: you may wish to skip 5 minutes of silence recorded at the beginning of this video.)
5). Area 17 Peer Learning: Implementing the OERG (April 1, 2020 webinar recording)
Handout: Presentation slides
This webinar shares strategies for maximizing outreach efforts through local partnerships. Area 17 Workforce Board has established a diverse network of local partners that are helping with their opioid grant efforts. Join the leaders in Area 17 and learn about their participant outreach efforts and how the connections with their local partners aided in identifying potential grant participants that may be eligible for OERG services.
This webinar discusses four targeted strategies that are identified in the OERG. The leaders from Workforce Area 3 are utilizing all four strategies to assist individuals who have been impacted by opioids in the Cuyahoga County community. Join them as they discuss how they are training and utilizing Peer Recovery Support Specialists within recovery housing facilities and hospitals. They will also share how they are using the pillars of success, identified in the
OWD Opioid Toolkit, to build the skilled behavioral health professions, how they are reintegrating impacted individuals back into the workforce, and their plans to engage with local second chance employers to develop recovery friendly practices and policies.
7). CasePlanning and Good Documentation Webinar (April 28, 2020 webinar recording)
Handout: Presentation slides
This session addresses fundamental principles of WIOA
service delivery and practical guidelines for documenting it. We explore requirements for developing Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) and
engaging your customer in making choices about training opportunities and discuss the importance of service documentation. Learn how to tie to robust case documentation to customer-centered
coaching and decision-making.
Rural Ohio has been hard-hit by the opioid crisis and many
areas may be challenged by limitations on public transportation, internet
connectivity, employment opportunities, and funding resources. Please
join our webinar to learn about the innovative strategies Area 1 is
implementing to overcome these obstacles.
9). Area 16 Peer Learning: Working with Justice-Involved Individuals Under the Opioid Grants (May 8, 2020 recording)
About 66 percent of offenders held in state prisons and
local jails have issues with substance misuse, including opioids. Join
our webinar to hear how Area 16 is providing career services to individuals
while they are incarcerated and then assisting them with training and
employment services when they are released.
This
webinar is about
successfully launching or growing your implementation efforts for the Ohio
Emergency Recovery Grant (OERG). We provide guidance on participant
eligibility, allowable activities and services, and grant timelines; highlight
the four key strategies of OERG; detail the types of temporary disaster relief
jobs that can be provided in each community; review the pillars of success and
important partnerships as detailed in the
Opioid toolkit; and share best practices and lessons learned from your
workforce development peers who have launched their service strategies.
Handout: Presentation slides
This training session explains the benefits of including Peer Supporters in service strategies for individuals with substance use disorder. The types of outreach, coaching, and assistance provided by Peer Supporters is described, along with minimum qualifications, training, and certification to become a Peer Supporter. Local areas are encouraged to partner with Thrive or other organizations that provide Peer Support and to offer these services to participants enrolled in an opioid grant.
Handout: Comparison chart of available grants
This video is a discussion with successful local areas to provide information on strategies for locating eligible
participants and figuring out creative approaches to
determine eligibility and enroll participants in needed employment and
training services. A comparison chart of available grants is provided along with guidance on participant eligibility, allowable activities and services,
and grant timelines. Updates on the Media
Outreach Resources for both the Opioid Emergency Recovery Grant
and the recent COVID-19 Grant are also presented.
State Opioid Response (SOR) Funding
The State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding from OhioMHAS is available to local areas needing additional funds to serve new populations of individuals with OUD and to provide expanded, extended, or enhanced services to current workforce program participants who have OUD. The local areas will assist SOR participants in completing a series of surveys (known as the GPRA) to document their progress toward recovery.
Technical assistance resources related to the SOR funding include:
Overview by the pass-through entity of the SOR grant and its purpose.
Resources related to the GPRA survey for SOR participants (access to the online tool, consent form, survey questions, etc.)
List of SOR funding restrictions and guidance from ODJFS on implementation and the fiscal process.
| Name | Webinar Description | Slides | Recorded Video |
| SOR Program Overview | Allowable costs, eligibility, and FAQs | SOR 101 | 7/17/19 (45 mins.) |
| SOR Fiscal Process | Requesting funds and reporting costs | SOR 301 | 7/30/19 (39 mins.) |