RIZE Massachusetts Foundation Announces Grant Program for Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis

April 22, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2025

CONTACT:

Molly McKinney, Ball Consulting Group, LLC
Phone: 617-243-9950; Email: molly@ballcg.com

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation Announces Grant Program for Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis

$7.5 Million to Be Distributed Over Three Years Through Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership

BOSTON (April 22, 2025) – RIZE Massachusetts Foundation (RIZE), a nonprofit foundation solely dedicated to funding and creating solutions to end the overdose crisis in Massachusetts, today announced the launch of its third Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership (Mosaic) grant program to support children and families impacted by the opioid overdose crisis. Through the Family Resilience Grant program, RIZE will distribute $7.5 million over three years to community-based organizations that are building comprehensive support systems for families across Massachusetts.

Mosaic is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and powered by RIZE. The funding comes from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF), which resulted from the historic legal effort to hold private companies accountable for the harms caused by the opioid overdose crisis. Mosaic is part of a network of programs and initiatives funded by ORRF to address the impact of the overdose crisis in Massachusetts.

RIZE will award up to $2.5 million annually to an anticipated 5 to 10 organizations, with grants up to $500,000 per year. The program prioritizes multi-service agencies with operating budgets of $20 million and under, as well as minority-led and minority-serving organizations.

“Mosaic was created to ensure settlement dollars are invested in the communities hardest hit by the overdose crisis,” said Julie Burns, President and CEO of RIZE. “The Family Resilience Grant program reflects our deeper understanding of the impact of the crisis on families. Children and caregivers are often the invisible victims of this epidemic. We aim to strengthen coordinated networks of care that address trauma, improve stability and help families heal.”

The Commonwealth reported over 2,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2023, leaving behind countless children, parents, grandparents and extended family members in crisis. Families affected by substance use often face housing instability, fragmented care and child welfare involvement, all of which can cause long-term harm to children and caregivers.

Parental substance misuse is one of the most common factors that brings families to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families’ attention. By funding programs rooted in a family-centered approach, Mosaic seeks to support holistic, scalable models that demonstrate the power of targeted, community-led solutions. Funded projects may include support for grandparents raising grandchildren, services for parents in recovery, trauma-informed care for children, emergency housing for families in crisis, and assistance navigating complex health and legal systems.

In August 2024, Mosaic announced its first grant program, Community-based Opioid Response Efforts (CORE), which provides $3.75 million over three years to 18 community-based organizations. Its second program, Mosaic Municipal Matching Grants, provides nearly $1.5 million in matching grants to 75 municipalities and their nonprofit partners. This third program focuses on the intergenerational effects of opioid use disorder.

Each of these programs is designed to address the opioid overdose crisis in communities and populations that have been historically underserved and have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths. This model will ensure that ORRF settlement dollars are invested and remain in the communities most deeply impacted by the crisis while also fueling transformative change through grassroots efforts.

The Family Resilience Grant program application is available on the RIZE website: mosaic.rizema.org. Applications are due June 17, 2025, and the grant period will begin in November 2025.

About RIZE Massachusetts

RIZE Massachusetts Foundation is solely dedicated to funding and creating solutions to end the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, designing programming, and supporting community partners who are using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment. Learn more at www.rizema.org.

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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.