This second round of funding allows nonprofits and municipalities to apply for matching grants from the statewide pool of opioid abatement funds

The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $1.5 million in matching grants to 30 municipalities and community-based organizations in areas disproportionately impacted by the overdose crisis.

These grants are the second round of funding announced through the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic), a collaboration developed in 2024 between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and RIZE Massachusetts to increase the equitable allocation of Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) grants to small community-based organizations and municipalities.

“The Mosaic Municipal Matching Grant program exemplifies our commitment to a collaborative and compassionate approach in addressing the overdose crisis. By empowering local municipalities and community-based organizations, we are fostering innovative solutions that meet individuals where they are,” said Undersecretary of Health Kiame Mahaniah, MD. “This funding not only supports essential services but also strengthens our collective resolve to create safer, healthier communities for everyone, with a particular focus on those affected by the opioid epidemic.”

 “Our ability to meaningfully reduce the devastating impacts of the overdose crisis is dependent on expanding pathways to accessible services at the grassroots level. These nonprofit organizations are equipped with the knowledge and resources to respond effectively to the unique needs of their communities,” saidDepartment of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Supporting culturally responsive and evidence-based strategies in our hardest-hit communities has – and will continue to – save lives.”

 Communities had the option of applying for funding directly, partnered with a nonprofit organization, or by collaborating and pooling funding with other municipalities. The 30 one-year grants range from $5,000 to $150,000 and will fund initiatives focusing on at least one of the following areas: prevention, harm reduction, access to care, recovery, trauma, grief, and family supports. Respective municipalities will earmark a matching portion of their previously distributed opioid settlement funds to the proposed initiative. RIZE will provide grantees with technical assistance and learning opportunities tailored to their specific needs to strengthen organizations and develop sustainability.

“These grants represent a vital investment in our communities as we tackle the overdose crisis head-on,” saidDeirdre Calvert, Director of DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. “Engaging people with lived and living experience in the decision-making process ensures that their insights and perspectives shape the solutions we develop.”

 “We are excited to welcome the first cohort of 30 municipalities to Mosaic. I want to recognize their efforts to partner with each other and organizations in their communities to find collaborative approaches to ending the overdose crisis,” said Julie Burns, President and CEO of RIZE Massachusetts Foundation. “These municipal grantees demonstrate the true nature of Mosaic – bringing together disparate and innovative approaches that span the care continuum and the Commonwealth’s geography to create a holistic approach to ending the overdose crisis. We are proud to be able to unlock new funding streams to support the work they are doing to save lives, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

RIZE will conduct two additional Municipal Matching Grant rounds through 2027, awarding a total of $4 million in matching grants over the program’s three years.

Second round grant awardees:

• Adult & Teen Challenge Southern New England Women’s Home
• Behavioral Health Innovators (BHI)
• Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
• Choices
• City of Cambridge
• City of Fall River
• City of Fitchburg
• City of Lawrence
• City of Lynn
• City of Medford
• City of New Bedford
• City of Revere
• City of Somerville
• Community Legal Aid, Inc. 
• Franklin Regional Council of Governments
• Gloucester, Ipswich, Rockport Opioid Abatement Collaborative
• Justice Resource Institute d/b/a Program RISE
• Latin American Health Alliance
• Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Metro Mayors Coalition
• Power Forward Inc. 
• Tapestry Health
• The Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
• Town of Arlington 
• Town of Brookline
• Town of Falmouth
• Town of Holbrook
• Town of Natick
• Town of Orange
• Town of Winthrop
• Troubled Waters Inc d/b/a The Bridge Club of Greater Lowell

The Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) was established in 2020 to receive and administer funds from certain legal settlements relating to allegations brought against companies in connection with the opioid crisis. Over the next 18 years, Massachusetts anticipates $1 billion to be received through the settlements and used for substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. Of this funding, 40 percent is allocated for municipalities and 60 percent directly to the ORRF.  

-Mass Dept. of Public Health