Reminder - Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs - Survey

Thank you to those who completed the Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs Dashboard Survey!

We still need your help gathering information!

DBHDS and OMNI are partnering to build out a hospital-initiated recovery programs dashboard!

Do any of the peer supporters (e.g., Peer Recovery Specialists) associated with your CSB provide support to emergency department patients? Do you know of hospitals in your area that offer ED-based peer support or MAT bridge programs? Please share any information you have, regardless of whether the services are SOR funded.

Click here to fill out the survey. It is estimated to take approximately 10-15 minutes. 

If you have any questions about the survey or additional information you’d like to share, please reach out to the OMNI SOR Recovery team at sorrecovery@omni.org.

This survey is public, so please feel free to forward the link to others who may have information to add.

We appreciate your help and support!

SOR III Year 2 Kickoff Recording and Materials Now Available!

Thank you to everyone who was able to join the OMNI Team on Tuesday, 10/10, for an informational training and community forum about the start of Year 2 of the SOR III grant period! We are glad we could share more with you about reflections on SOR III Year 1 and refreshers on GPRAs and timelines to make data collection as smooth as possible during Year 2.

If you were unable to attend, or if you want to review the content, the following is now available for you on our website in the New to the GPRA Section. The direct links are below:

We had several questions come up during the training that we want to answer for you below:

Q1: Will individuals need to submit a new intake GPRA for continuing clients for Year 2?

A: No, clients who will continue receiving services in Year 2 do not need to complete a new intake GPRA.

Q2: Should a client receive a discharge GPRA if they are still receiving treatment services, but those services are no longer SOR-funded?

A: In general, clients should receive a discharge GPRA once they are no longer receiving any services or when services they receive are no longer SOR-funded, AND those services are not provided by a SOR-funded staff member. When completing the discharge GPRA for a client who is continuing to receive services and meets the above criteria, the reason for termination should be “Referred to another program or other services…”

Q3: If someone starts receiving Medicaid after they have completed an intake, should they then complete a discharge GPRA?

A: If a client has already completed an intake GPRA but is no longer using SOR funds to cover their services AND is not receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member, then that client should complete a discharge GPRA.

Our general guidance on Medicaid is as follows: private insurance/Medicaid should be used to cover the services that can be covered since SOR funds could be utilized for another client who does not have alternative coverage. If a portion of the services cannot be covered by their insurance, then SOR funds can supplement for the un-covered services. If there is a client who does not need SOR funding at all (insurance pays for everything AND they aren't receiving anything from a SOR-funded staff member), they are not part of the grant and thus not part of the GPRA. (Note: Only clients with stimulant use disorder or OUD diagnosis can have services be SOR-funded.)

If you need any further clarification or if you have questions about the training or the GPRA, please reach out to us at SORSupport@omni.org or fill out the TA Request form on our website. We will be hosting a GPRA Refresher training on Thursday, November 30, at 11 a.m. ET. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming your way in a couple of weeks!

Reminder: SOR III, Year 2 Kickoff Meeting on October 10th

We wanted to remind you about the upcoming SOR III, Year 2 Kickoff meeting hosted by the OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team.

Date: Tuesday, October 10th

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET

Registration Link (please register in advance): https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd-qgqDgoH9BbF0SJ2ErJ6CkiftMBSgm4

The Kick-Off meeting presents an excellent opportunity for you to connect with OMNI, DBHDS, and other CSB/Agency teams to delve into important topics related to Year 2 of the SOR III grant period, which began October 1st. It’s important to note that the GPRA tools will not be changing for the new fiscal year. Yet, we wanted to share some information with you all about the following:

  • SOR III, Year 1 Overview

  • General Review of GPRA Information for Year 2

  • TA Resources & Communications

  • Upcoming GPRA Trainings

Additionally, this gathering will allow you to ask questions and share your experiences, successes, and challenges from the past year. The OMNI SOR team is excited to facilitate this community forum setting for learning and sharing.

Please remember that you will need to register in advance to receive the meeting link. You can register here or at the link above.

If you have any questions, please reach out to OMNI at SORSupport@omni.org. See you at the Kickoff!

Survey - Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs

DBHDS and OMNI are partnering to build out a Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs Dashboard!

We're excited to have this information public to educate legislators, program directors, and the larger community about Virginia’s hospital-initiated recovery programs, including peer recovery support programs based in the emergency department (ED) and other hospital departments, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Bridge programs.

We need your help gathering information!

Do any of the peer supporters (e.g., Peer Recovery Specialists) associated with your CSB provide support to emergency department patients? Do you know of hospitals in your area that offer ED-based peer support or MAT bridge programs? Please share any information you have, regardless of if the services are SOR funded.

Click here to fill out the survey. It is estimated to take approximately 10-15 minutes.

If you have any questions about the survey or additional information you’d like to share, please reach out to the OMNI SOR Recovery team at sorrecovery@omni.org.

This survey is public, so please feel free to forward the link to others who may have information to add.

We appreciate your help and support! 

Register for OMNI’s SOR III, Year 2 Treatment Evaluation Kickoff Meeting: 10/10/23!

The OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team is excited to host a SOR III, Year 2 Kick-Off meeting on Tuesday, October 10th, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET. Many of you have asked for more opportunities to convene in this way – in a community forum setting – to learn and share. So, we're thrilled to have this opportunity to gather our OMNI, DBHDS, and CSB/Agency teams together to go over information about the GPRA, GPRA administration, and related work for Year 2 of the SOR III fiscal year, which begins October 1st. In addition to our topics below, you will have an opportunity to ask questions of us and each other and share your successes and challenges from the past year.

You will need to register in advance to receive the link to our meeting: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd-qgqDgoH9BbF0SJ2ErJ6CkiftMBSgm4.

It’s important to note that the GPRA tools will not be changing for the new fiscal year. Yet, we wanted to share some information with you all about the following::

  • SOR III, Year 1 Overview

  • General Review of GPRA Information for Year 2

  • TA Resources & Communication

  • Upcoming GRPA trainings

If you have any questions, please reach out to OMNI at SORSupport@omni.org. See you at the Kickoff!

Monthly Kudos goes to …. ALL CSBs and Agencies!

Throughout 2023, we have been acknowledging and highlighting CSBs or agencies that have excelled in intakes, follow-ups, client engagement, and have shown a "spirit of inquiry" when interacting with our TA Team regarding GPRA administration issues.

It's hard to believe, but the new SOR III Fiscal Year 2023-24 will begin on October 1st. As we initiate the annual reporting process to conclude the current fiscal year, we would like to extend our recognition to all the CSBs and agencies that have tirelessly worked throughout the year.

You all have diligently provided essential treatment services to clients within your communities and encouraged their participation in the SOR treatment evaluation by managing intake and follow-up GPRAs. We understand that your primary goal is to deliver necessary services, but the GPRA dataset you have contributed to is a valuable source of information. It assists DBHDS, SAMHSA, OMNI, and communities across the Commonwealth in gaining a deeper understanding of the individuals they serve and how SOR-funded services can contribute to successful treatment outcomes for clients. Thank you very much for your exceptional efforts!

Share your SOR 3 Year 1 Treatment & Recovery Success Stories with OMNI and DBHDS!

It’s hard to believe that we have almost completed Year 1 of SOR 3 — the fiscal year ends 9/30/23 (quick note: there will be no changes to GPRA processes or tools).

The OMNI and DBHDS teams are always interested in learning about any of your SOR-related success stories! We compile these throughout the year to use in grant reporting materials and our annual reporting. We’d love to hear from you about how your SOR funding is supporting the services you provide in your community and impacting the lives of those you serve.

To submit a success story, please click here.

Recap of OMNI and CSB/Agency 2023 Annual 1:1 Check-ins

This past April through July 2023, the OMNI TA Team scheduled 30-minute one-on-one meetings between one of our TA Team members and folks at each CSB/agency! These were very successful on a number of levels:

  • OMNI made stronger connections with CSBs/agencies and really enjoyed being able to put names to faces, as we are all much more than an email address!

  • CSBs/agencies shared valuable insights on successes and challenges with GPRA administration. They asked thoughtful questions about the process and our work together.

  • OMNI provided TA tips and documents to better support the important work of GPRA administration and data tracking and ensured we have the most up-to-date contacts for all CSBs/agencies. Please continue to email our team as needed when new staff are added (or leave) so we can include them on our emails and provide them access to their CSB/agency Dropbox folder.

In many of our nearly 40 conversations, a number of consistent themes, topics, or questions came up. Here are a few we consolidated as well as our added TA to guide you:

  • Who should complete a GPRA?

    • In order for SOR-funding to cover someone's services (i.e., pay for their services because they don't have insurance or can't afford to pay) they need to either have an opioid use disorder (OUD) or a stimulant use disorder. If there are clients receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member (salary paid by SOR) then the clients are eligible for the GPRA regardless of whether or not they have an OUD or a stimulant use disorder, because the staff member's time is paid by the grant. However, in those cases, the patient's bill for services still cannot be covered by SOR-funding because they don't have the appropriate diagnoses. Check out the SOR and GPRA On-Boarding Guide for more information related to the GPRA instrument, GPRA eligibility, and data tracking.

  • When should a GPRA be administered?

    • All clients should be administered the GPRA survey at three timepoints: at intake to services, five to eight months after intake, and at discharge from services. The Follow-up & Discharge Information Sheet provides detailed guidance on this timeline for survey administration and data entry. Note: Only one follow-up GPRA and one discharge GPRA should be completed per client for each grant period.

    • The intake GPRA is the first GPRA survey, completed when the client first receives SOR-funded services. The follow-up GPRA is completed approximately five to eight months after the intake GPRA (also known as the follow-up window), even if the client has already been discharged from services and completed a discharge GPRA. The discharge GPRA is conducted when the client is discharged from treatment/recovery services. This can occur before or after a follow-up GPRA, or even at the same time as the follow-up. Note: We have been receiving duplicated follow-up and/or discharge GPRAs of late. Please review this important News Post with more about this.

  • What is some guidance around providing a SOR-funded $30 Gift Card?

    • A GPRA follow-up interview can be incentivized with a $30 gift card from any store and must not be able to be exchanged for cash. Gift cards can be purchased with SOR funds and are managed by your CSB/agency. This incentive is separate from Contingency Management.

  • Can you clarify how Contingency Management works in relation to the GPRA?

    • If Contingency Management (CM) is used by your agency, it can be used to incentivize folks to continue to engage in services, which can support completion of a GPRA interview at intake, follow-up, or discharge. CM can be distributed in increments valued at $15 or less, for a maximum of $75 per year. Note: OMNI has a Contingency Management Training recording and slides that provide a deeper explanation of Contingency Management, and the GPRA Administration Tips and Best Practices sheet provides examples of incentives and contingency management.

  • What are the weekly alerts emails all about?

    • OMNI reminded folks that the weekly and monthly emails we send around follow-up and intake statuses are automatically-generated emails meant to provide up-to-date information to all CSBs/agencies about current intake and follow-up GPRA statuses. These are merely an extra tool to help CSBs/agencies track these statuses and are sent if intakes haven’t been completed in a while and if any follow-up windows are open or closing soon.

  • OMNI also reminded folks of the helpful information we share in CSB/Agency Dropboxes, including Weekly GPRA Tracking Sheets. (Check out this Weekly Tracking Sheet Overview resource for a detailed breakdown of what’s in your tracking sheet and how to utilize it!). There are also Monthly Progress Reports, and Annual CSB-level SOR Reports there.

As a reminder, GPRA intakes are incredibly important in continuing to secure funding. Keep up the good work of getting community members into the program to highlight the work that you do in your community!

A huge thanks to all CSBs and Agencies for your input and participation. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to OMNI with any follow-up questions or concerns at SORSupport@omni.org.

SOR III, Year 2 Award Letters Have Been Sent to CSB EDs

Hello, Virginia SOR Subgrantees!

We’re gearing up for the coming SOR grant year starting September 30th, 2023. All CSB executive directors should’ve received SOR 2023-2024 treatment and/or recovery annual award amount emails with instructions for submitting proposals. 

 (All non-CSB subgrantee award letters will be finalized within the next two weeks. You should’ve received an email about training for submitting proposals in Web Grants. I may be reaching out for a quick meeting to discuss. Stay tuned. This is for non-CSBs only.) 

SOR proposals are due September 8th. As we’ve said before, it’s acceptable to tweak your award amounts without changing the total.

For example: CSB X’s award:

  • Total - $225k

  • Treatment - $150k

  • Recovery - $75k

 CSB X would rather split the money like this:

  • Treatment - $125k

  • Recovery - $100k

That split is totally fine. Split the amounts however works best for your agency as long as the numbers don’t include cents and the total amount stays the same…. at this point. 

“But, what if our CSB needs more than the total award amount?” 

Not to worry. We will accept additional budget proposals starting November 6th. All additional awards will be considered based on the following: 

  • available funds 

  • subgrantee’s catchment area needs

  • amount of subgrantee’s unspent funds from the past year

Below are the proposal instructions that were included in the award letters.

The most important one…and I can’t stress this enough,

PLEASE save your proposal with the name of your CSB and the grant year 2023. For example: RBHA SOR 2023 Proposal.doc

Grant Proposal Guidelines

  • The subgrantee organization name must be included in the proposal document file name.

    • For example: RBHA SOR 2023 Proposal.doc

  • Include all proposal elements in one document: treatment, recovery and budget.

  • Excel spreadsheets must be imbedded into the proposal word document.

  • Document should be single-spaced with Times New Roman, 12 pt. font size.

  • The following items should be included.

    • Coversheet, organization name, contact information and Annual Award Amounts

    • Introduction (include annual award amounts)

    • List subgrantee contact persons for recovery, treatment, finance and GPRA collection. (This can be included in list form within or after the introduction.)

    • Statement of problem/need

    • Description of your project that will address the problem/need

    • Implementation - Plan for how your organization would implement Treatment and Recovery services (depending on request). Please include estimates of the number of individuals served annually within these programs.

    • Evaluation - how you plan to evaluate the success of your program. (Note: GPRA administration is required when offering direct treatment services. The subgrantee will need to work with OMNI Institute to coordinate submission of GPRA data. More on that later.)

    • Sustainability - Measures for sustainability beyond the grant period and/or documented barriers to sustainability

    • Revenue - Licensed positions and peer recovery positions must include an estimate of revenue generated from billing. If your agency is not currently billing for peer services, please include an explanation of the barriers that are preventing you from doing so.

    • Round up all amounts to the nearest dollar.

    • Housing Funds – All funds requested for housing, must be used for actual recovery oriented housing, not standard apartment housing with no recovery component to it.

Proposal Submission Deadline

Initial proposals will be accepted September 8, 2023. Proposals must be submitted by e-mail with the Subject Line to include: Name of Subgrantee/SOR III, Year II request to:  Angela Weight angela.weight@dbhds.virginia.gov

5. Fund Distribution

There will be no upfront payment of 1/8th of approved grant funds this year. Funds will be reimbursed based on received and approved monthly reimbursement requests.  Funds will be paid out on the mid-month warrant for the month after the request is received.

The SOR team WILL consider requests for funding beyond your Annual Award Amount starting November 6, 2023. Follow the same requirements as initial proposals.

All SOR Prevention awards will be managed separately through the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness. Direct all SOR prevention – related questions to Rebecca Textor (SOR Prevention Coordinator). Rebecca.textor@dbhds.virginia.gov

As always, thank you all so much for the outstanding work you’re doing to bring recovery and treatment services to Virginians who need them.  

Angela Weight
SOR Grant Programming Coordinator
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services
(804) 297-5457

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.112
Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.112-1113 The Federal awarding agency must establish conflict of interest policies for Federal awards. The non-Federal entity must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with applicable Federal awarding agency policy. Failure to adhere to these statues will result in immediate termination of funding. Virginia’s State Opioid Response (SOR) grant is awarded at the discretion of DBHDS and SAMHSA. All recipients of SOR funding supports evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery services to address opioid and stimulant misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine. The SOR grant is not intended to be utilized as a long-term or permanent funding source. All SOR proposals must include a realistic plan for financial sustainability beyond the grant period.

Note: Information regarding SOR Prevention will be communicated through the Virginia Prevention Works portal.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.112 Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.112-1113 The Federal awarding agency must establish conflict of interest policies for Federal awards. The non-Federal entity must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with applicable Federal awarding agency policy. Failure to adhere to these statues will result in immediate termination of funding.

Virginia’s State Opioid Response (SOR) grant is awarded at the discretion of DBHDS and SAMHSA. All recipients of SOR funding supports evidence-based prevention, treatment and recovery services to address opioid and stimulant misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine. The SOR grant is not intended to be utilized as a long-term or permanent funding source. All SOR proposals must include a realistic plan for financial sustainability beyond the grant period.