Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Implementation

Grants to USA and territories nonprofit and for-profit entities, including community, tribal, and faith-based organizations, for programs to reduce substance abuse in rural counties. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take several weeks to complete. All activities supported by RCORP-Implementation must exclusively occur in HRSA-designated rural counties or rural census tracts in urban counties.

RCORP is a multi-year initiative by HRSA aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in high-risk rural communities. This funding opportunity, RCORPImplementation, will advance RCORP’s overall goal by strengthening and expanding SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services to enhance rural residents’ ability to access treatment and move towards recovery.

Given the complex and multifaceted nature of SUD/OUD, as well as the need to secure community buy-in and generate adequate patient volume to sustain services, HRSA requires that applicants be part of broad, multi-sectoral consortia. For the purposes of RCORP-Implementation, a consortium is an organizational arrangement among four or more separately owned domestic public or private entities, including the applicant organization, with established working relationships. 

The target population for this grant are: 1) individuals who are at risk for, have been diagnosed with, and/or are in treatment and/or recovery for OUD; 2) their families and/or caregivers; and 3) other community members who reside in HRSA-designated rural areas, as defined by the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer. The primary focus of the grant is OUD. However, recognizing that many individuals with OUD are polysubstance users, or have other co-occurring conditions, consortia may address other SUD-related needs of this population. 

RCORP-Implementation award recipients are expected to work closely with a HRSA-funded technical assistance (TA) provider throughout the three-year period of performance. 

In support of RCORP’s goal, and in alignment with the HHS Five-Point Strategy, over the course of the three-year period of performance, consortia must implement all core/required SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. For more information on core activities, see pages 8-9 of the NOFO document in Supporting Documents below. 

Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC): A part of this initiative, the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program (LRP) will recruit and retain medical, nursing, and behavioral/mental health clinicians with specific training and credentials, and are part of an integrated care team, providing evidence-based SUD treatment and counseling in eligible communities of need, designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). For more information, see Appendix A (page 49) of the NOFO document.