Overdose prevention training, education, and continuous quality improvement

The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Pharmacy is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) for the purposes of entering into an agreement and awarding funds to eligible and qualified entities to Overdose prevention training, education, and continuous quality improvement.

The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) received funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) program. The purpose of FR-CARA is to strengthen the ability of first responders and other key community sectors to prevent and respond to opioid overdose through training, education, access to opioid overdose reversal medications, community engagement, referral to treatment and recovery services, and other evidence-informed overdose prevention strategies. [...] The purpose of this RFA is to identify one or more qualified applicants capable of supporting MSDH in implementing designated FR-CARA activities across the eight priority counties.

A total of **$302,464** is anticipated to be available under this RFA for the anticipated Period of Performance of November 1, 2026, through September 29, 2030, with anticipated funding of **$75,616** per annual budget period.

The selected subrecipient will assist MSDH with overdose prevention training and education, first responder and community engagement, development of reusable training materials, Train-the-Trainer activities, assessment of community resources and service gaps, performance monitoring, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.

Required Project Activities

• Developing, adapting, and delivering in-person and virtual training related to opioid overdose prevention and response, naloxone administration and overdose reversal, safety measures regarding emerging drug trends associated with overdoses, Good Samaritan laws, overdose awareness, and referral and linkage to treatment and recovery support services post overdose.
• Supporting training and engagement of first responders, healthcare providers, public safety agencies, community-based organizations, and other community partners.
• Developing reusable educational and training materials and supporting Train-the-Trainer activities to increase local capacity and sustainability.
• Supporting community and stakeholder engagement and strengthening partnerships relevant to overdose prevention and response, particularly among our community anchors.
• Assessing training needs, community resources, assets, and service gaps, including completion of resource-mapping activities within the first six months.
• Collecting, monitoring, and analyzing program implementation and performance information.
• Supporting evaluation of project activities, including assessment of implementation fidelity, reach, outcomes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Using performance information, evaluation findings, and stakeholder feedback to support continuous quality improvement.
• Maintaining complete documentation of activities, participation, deliverables, performance measures, and outcomes and submitting required reports to MSDH.

Performance Requirements

• Training at least 75 stakeholders during Year 1, with increased training targets in subsequent project years on emerging drug threats and related safety measures;
• Conducting at least four overdose prevention and awareness training activities annually;
• Assisting with the establishment of a community engagement workgroup consisting of community anchors, public health agencies, and other partners to hold quarterly meetings.

The Subgrantee will be required to submit quarterly programmatic and performance reports to MSDH and a final programmatic and expenditure report at the end of the applicable Period of Performance or budget period, as directed by MSDH.

The Application can be submitted electronically through MSDH's OpenGov Procurement portal. Applications are due prior to **5:00 pm** on Monday, November 30, 2026 and late submittals will not be accepted. Applications that do not contain all required information or that are not in a submitted status prior to the deadline for Application submittals will be rejected.

Applications may receive a maximum score of 100 points. An Applicant must receive a minimum score of 70 points to be considered for an award.

There is no match or in-kind funding requirement under this RFA.

The anticipated Period of Performance for this RFA is November 1, 2026 through September 29, 2030.

Applicants may use the suggested formats Attachment A (Scope of Work), Attachment B (Project Narrative & Implementation Work Plan), and Attachment C (Detailed Budget & Budget Narrative). Use of the templates is optional; the required proposal content is not.