Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $3.75 Million to 18 Grassroots Organizations to Address the Opioid Crisis

RIZE News

August 21, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2024

CONTACT:
Ayub Tahlil, ayub.tahlil@mass.gov, 617-939-7516

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $3.75 Million to 18 Grassroots Organizations to Address the Opioid Crisis

Awards are part of unique public-private partnership to allow small, community-based organizations and municipalities to apply for statewide opioid settlement funds

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $3.75 million in grants to 18 grassroots organizations to reduce the harms caused by the opioid epidemic in communities disproportionately impacted by overdose deaths. The grants are the first to be awarded through the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic), a new grantmaking program designed to support communities and populations that have been historically underserved and have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths.

Mosaic was developed earlier in 2024 through a collaboration between the 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 that often face significant obstacles and barriers to accessing more traditional funding opportunities.

“Too many Massachusetts families have been devastated by the impacts of substance use disorder,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These awards underscore our commitment to equitable access to necessary resources for prevention, recovery, and treatment programs in communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.”

“These grants ensure that opioid settlement funds are invested in community organizations that are working at the grassroots level but that face challenges in competing for grant funding,” said Undersecretary of Health Kiame Mahaniah. “We’re hopeful that these diverse organizations will now have the ability to build on their substance use disorder programming while centering the voices of the community they know so well and who have been directly impacted by the overdose crisis.”

The primary goal of this first round of funding is to help organizations deepen their impact, bring their work to scale, and build a strong and sustainable infrastructure to meet the needs of the populations they serve. Each organization will receive between $16,000 to $150,000 annually over a three-year period to focus on one or all of the following areas: prevention, harm-reduction, connections to care, recovery supports, trauma, grief, and family supports.

“Our efforts are focused on reducing barriers to access in communities and among populations hardest hit by substance use disorder and overdose deaths,” said Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Those working at the grassroots level, who know their communities best, need this support to provide culturally responsive services for those struggling with addiction and families that have suffered devastating losses to overdose.”

“Opioid settlement funding has created a rare opportunity to provide the people and the communities most impacted by the overdose crisis with the resources to support locally led prevention, treatment, intervention, recovery and harm reduction services,” said Deirdre Calvert, Director of DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. “Mosaic will be the bridge that connects our statewide overdose prevention strategy to local efforts.”

“We believe the best ideas come from learning, sharing, and partnerships. Just like a mosaic is made up of individual materials to create a complete picture, this partnership brings together the best community-led ideas and initiatives across the Commonwealth to create a comprehensive response to the opioid overdose crisis,” said Julie Burns, President and CEO of RIZE. “This model will ensure that the dollars are invested and remain in the communities most deeply impacted by the crisis while also fueling transformative change through grassroots efforts.”

In addition to this first round of funding, there will be two additional rounds of grantmaking this fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2025. All rounds of grantmaking will be informed by those with lived experience and expertise related to the overdose crisis. Overall, the Mosaic grantmaking program represents a commitment by the Commonwealth to dedicate $5 million annually over the next 18 years (or 18 percent of the total opioid settlement funds in the ORRF) toward funding locally led initiatives to address the harms caused by the opioid epidemic.

First round Mosaic grant program awardees: 

  • Access HOPE, Mashpee
  • AIDS Project Worcester, Worcester
  • Black Behavioral Health Network, Springfield
  • Camp Happy Place, Barrington
  • Centro De Ayuda Y Esperanza Latina, Bedford
  • Choice Recovery Coaching Inc., Springfield
  • Extreme Kid, Inc., Springfield
  • Fishing Partnership Health Plan/Fishing Partnership Support Services, New Bedford
  • Hilltown Youth Recovery Theater, Charlemont
  • Harm Reduction Hedgehogs (HRH413), Northampton
  • Safe Exit Initiative, Worcester
  • South Shore Peer Recovery, Scituate
  • The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Massachusetts, Boston
  • The Psychological Center, Lawrence
  • The Sun Will Rise, Braintree
  • Torch Light Recovery, Boston
  • Troubled Waters Inc./Bridge Club of Greater Lowell, Lowell
  • Uhai for Health Inc., Worcester

The 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.

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Position Summary

The Massachusetts Harm Reduction Workforce Coalition (MAHRWC), established in 2024, is a statewide organization designed to strengthen, connect, and sustain the harm reduction workforce across Massachusetts through community, training, mutual support, and collective action.

The first of its kind in Massachusetts, MAHRWC continues to grow its network of harm reduction workers, advocates, and partners committed to saving lives and advancing justice across the Commonwealth.

The project coordinator will be fully dedicated to MAHRWC, providing day-to-day support for coalition operations, communications, and member engagement. This role helps ensure coalition activities run smoothly by:

  • Managing administrative systems and internal coordination.
  • Coordinating meetings, events, agendas, and follow-up materials.
  • Supporting data tracking, reporting, and documentation.
  • Serving as a key point of contact for members, partners, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, committed to public health and harm reduction principles, and comfortable working with diverse stakeholders, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers, policymakers, and people with lived and living experience.

 

Key Responsibilities

1. Administrative & Operational Support

  • Manage coalition calendars, schedules, and meeting logistics.
  • Coordinate virtual and in-person meetings, including agenda preparation and note-taking. This includes the coalition advisory board's regular bimonthly meetings.
  • Maintain shared drives, databases, and internal documentation systems (Google Suite, Zoom, Constant Contact).
  • Support the executive director with activities related to contract and grant reporting.
  • Provide logistical support for trainings, conferences, and coalition events.

2. Communications & Member Engagement

  • Serve as the first point of contact for coalition inquiries.
  • Maintain membership lists and distribution groups.
  • Draft and distribute newsletters, meeting summaries, and updates.
  • Support social media and website updates (if applicable) alongside other staff and consultants.
  • Assist in preparing reports, briefs, and presentations.

3. Data & Reporting Support

  • Track coalition activities, deliverables, and metrics.
  • Assist with grant reporting and compliance documentation.
  • Compile and organize workforce data and partner updates.

4. Event & Training Coordination

  • Coordinate registration and materials for workforce training along with the training coordinator.
  • Support the training coordinator with speaker communication and event logistics.
  • Gather participant feedback and evaluation data.

 

Qualifications

Required

  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and virtual meeting platforms
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

  • Experience in public health, behavioral health, or harm reduction
  • Familiarity with workforce development initiatives
  • Experience supporting coalitions or multi-partner collaborations
  • Experience working with communities disproportionately impacted by substance use and overdose

Core Competencies

  • Commitment to harm reduction philosophy and health equity
  • Cultural humility and trauma-informed approach
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
  • Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative mindset
  • High level of discretion and professionalism

 

Work Environment

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE), launched in 2017, is the only public-private partnership dedicated to ending the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, creating programming, and supporting community partners using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment. Since its inception, RIZE has awarded over $30 million to more than 275 organizations aligned with its mission.

As MAHRWC’s fiscal partner, RIZE provides financial and administrative support while respecting the group's autonomy and self-determination and supports the coalition’s efforts to dismantle systemic inequities and help build a future where compassion, dignity, and support replace stigma and neglect.

This position reports to RIZE’s chief program officer and works closely with the chief executive officer. It is a full-time, hybrid role with the expectation of two days in the office. RIZE is in downtown Boston, and occasional travel, primarily in-state, will be required for meetings and events as needed. This role may require evening and occasional weekend work.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, or other status protected under the law.

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