Welcome to SOR IV – GPRA Resources and Updates

The SOR IV grant period began on October 1st. So, the OMNI TA Team would like to share some important resources and information to help you with the SOR IV GPRA survey collection and provide you with other important information to start the grant year off.

OMNI Contact:

SOR IV Grant Period Dates:

  • The SOR IV grant period began on October 1st, 2024 and will run for three years, ending on September 30th, 2027.

GPRA Survey Tools:

  • The GPRA is a survey tool for grant evaluation purposes. Client-level data are collected including demographics, substance use and misuse, mental health and physical health functioning, and other key variables. A CSB/Agency staff member must ask the client the survey questions in an interview format; clients cannot fill out the survey themselves. Check out our Getting Started with GPRA Administration sheet. You can also check out the paper versions of the GPRAs: Intake is here, and Follow-up/Discharge is here. Surveys are collected at three time points in a client’s treatment journey: at Intake, as a 6-month Follow-up, and at Discharge from services.

  • No changes have been made to the GPRA survey for SOR IV. However, the printable GPRA documents and online survey versions have been updated with the correct grant period. Please be sure to use the newly updated links here, to the online GPRAs posted on the website.

  • An updated consent form in English and Spanish with revised language that is more accessible to all reading comprehension levels is available now. Please use only this new version with your clients and be sure to destroy any prior blank versions. The stand-alone Consent forms are available here.

GPRA Eligibility:

  • GPRA Eligibility will remain the same as in SOR III:

    • Clients can only complete a GPRA intake, follow-up, and discharge survey once per grant period. This does not mean they cannot receive additional services from you after a discharge, if they return to services with you. This only means that SAMHSA can accept just one series of GPRAs per person per grant period.

    • Clients diagnosed with an opioid use disorder (OUD) or a stimulant use disorder and receiving SOR-funded services OR clients receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member (salary paid by SOR) regardless of their behavioral health diagnosis qualify for the GPRA.

Intake GPRA Targets:

  • CSB/Agency Intake GPRA Targets set by DBHDS for Year 1 of SOR IV will be communicated via email in the coming weeks.

Quarterly Surveys:

  • Subgrantees who receive funding under SOR Treatment and/or Recovery are required to complete quarterly surveys that OMNI will email to your main point of contact. Only one staff person at your agency should enter all information. These surveys collect summary data on how many individuals received SOR-funded services during the past quarter; the kinds of services; the number of peers providing services; if justice programs are involved; internal staffing and other capacity effects of SOR funding on your agency; harm reduction practices; and successes and challenges you may be experiencing. They are completed quarterly (January, April, July, October). OMNI will reach out when this is due.

Please reach out to our team with questions: SORSupport@omni.org.

Register for OMNI’s SOR IV, Year 1 GPRA Facilitator Orientation Meeting: 11/14/24!

The OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team will host a SOR IV, Year I GPRA facilitator’s orientation on Thursday, November 14th, from 1-2pm ET.

This training offers the opportunity to convene in a collaborative community forum, learning and sharing insights. We will gather the OMNI, DBHDS, and CSB/Agency teams together to go over GPRA administration information for Year 1 of the SOR IV fiscal year, which began October 1st. This will focus especially on the first several months of the new grant period.

Who should attend?

  • All staff from any CSB/Agency receiving SOR IV funding who will be completing GPRAs with clients and who also completed client GPRAs during SOR III.

  • Staff from newly funded Agencies who have yet to complete GPRAs as part of the previous SOR grants are also welcome.

For any staff new to the GPRA, we will offer a full GPRA Intake Training before the end of 2024 and provide TA directly to you.

Please register in advance to receive the link to our meeting: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpduqprDIqHtwWb01FnpNrvu3NgJP8x4QG.

GPRA surveys themselves will not be changing for SOR IV. However, SAMSHA has identified required processes for how to transition SOR III clients who are continuing services in SOR IV.

Here are the main topics to be covered in our meeting:

  • General Review of GPRA Information

  • Consent Form Updates

  • SOR III to SOR IV GPRA Client Transitions

  • TA Resources & Communication

  • Upcoming GPRA Trainings

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

New Alert! OMNI’s SOR IV 10/23 GPRA Facilitator Orientation Meeting Postponed!

The OMNI GRPA Facilitator Orientation meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, 11 am ET has been POSTPONED, with no future date identified at this time. We apologize for this change, but are still in the process of clarifying updated SOR IV GPRA guidance from SAMHSA. We want to be sure to communicate it to you correctly.

We will reach out to CSBs/Agencies once OMNI and DBHDS have identified a new orientation date. A new invitation and registration link will be shared at that time.

NOTE: The GPRA data collection pause is also still in effect. Please review this information if you need a refresher:

If you have any questions, please reach out to OMNI at SORSupport@omni.org. We appreciate your patience with the SOR IV launch.

Alert! OMNI’s Upcoming SOR IV Year 1 GPRA Facilitator Orientation Meeting has been rescheduled to 10/23/24!

The upcoming OMNI GRPA Facilitator Orientation meeting (originally 10/10) has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, 11 am ET. We apologize for this change, but we have received some updated GPRA guidance from SAMHSA and want to be sure to communicate it to you correctly.

Please register using the link below to access the Zoom meeting room on the presentation day. If you have already registered for the event, you will not need to re-register. We will send you a new confirmation email, please make sure to update your calendar.

Register Link: https://omniorg.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtduysrjgjGdAUhdLhlMnAwRoOY7ouIzxJ

To prepare for the new SOR IV grant cycle, we will review information about the GPRA, GPRA administration, and related work for Year 1 of the SOR IV fiscal year, which started on 10/1/24. (Important Reminder: GPRA data collection is temporarily paused. Please read this important news post about this.)

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.

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

  • SOR III Year 2 Overview

  • General Review of GPRA Information

  • Consent Form Updates

  • SOR III to SOR IV GPRA Client Transition Process

  • TA Resources & Communication

  • Upcoming GPRA trainings

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

SOR IV GPRA Data Collection Pause Notice

The SOR III grant year ends on September 30th with SOR IV beginning October 1st. SAMHSA recently released new guidance on how CSBs/Agencies are to transition clients and GPRAs from SOR III to SOR IV. Because of this, and with DBHDS’s approval, we are going to pause the launch of SOR IV GPRA data collection until SOR IV funding decisions are shared by DBHDS so that we can communicate more appropriately. That guidance is forthcoming.

In the meantime:

The last day to conduct SOR III intakes, follow-ups, and discharges is 9/30. Please make sure all surveys done by 9/30 are transferred into the correct online form by Friday 10/4. The forms will close at the end of that day.

Thank you for your patience as we navigate the change from one grant period to another. As noted, OMNI will provide guidance soon on how to transition clients and GPRAs. If you have questions in the meantime, please contact us at SORSupport@omni.org.

Register for OMNI’s SOR IV, Year 1 GPRA Facilitator Orientation Meeting: 10/10/24!

The OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team is excited to host a SOR IV, Year I GPRA facilitator’s orientation on Thursday, October 10th, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET. This training offers a valuable opportunity to convene in a collaborative community forum, learning and sharing insights. 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 1 of the SOR IV 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.

Registration link: https://omniorg.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtduysrjgjGdAUhdLhlMnAwRoOY7ouIzxJ

It’s important to note that the GPRA surveys 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 2 Overview

  • General Review of GPRA Information

  • Consent Form Updates

  • SOR III to SOR IV GPRA Client Transition Process

  • TA Resources & Communication

  • Upcoming GPRA trainings

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

OMNI Kudos to ALL CSBs and Agencies for their SOR III work!

Throughout SOR III, we have been highlighting some commendable efforts by CSBs or Agencies excelling in intakes, follow-ups, engaging and supporting clients, and/or demonstrating a "spirit of inquiry" when engaging with our TA Team on GPRA administration issues.

It’s hard to believe, but the new SOR IV grant period and Fiscal Year 2024-25 start on October 1st. As we begin annual reporting to close out the current fiscal year and SOR III, we’d like to recognize ALL of the CSBs and agencies who have been working hard over the course of the SOR III grant period. Your dedication to delivering essential treatment services to clients in your communities and encouraging their participation in the SOR treatment evaluation through intake and follow-up GPRAs has been remarkable. We know that your utmost goal is to provide needed services, but the GPRA dataset to which you all have contributed is rich in information and helps DBHDS, SAMHSA, OMNI, and communities across the Commonwealth learn more about the people they serve and how SOR-funded services may contribute to treatment successes and client outcomes. Thank you so very much! KUDOS!

OMNI Kudos to Alexandria for Their “Spirit of Inquiry”!

As we near the end of SOR III, we want to continue highlighting CSBs or Agencies that are excelling at meeting their intake and follow-up goals, engaging and supporting clients, and demonstrating a "spirit of inquiry" when working with our TA Team on GPRA administration issues.

This month, we’re giving a special shoutout to the Alexandria team! They completed 10 intake GPRAs in the first two weeks of July and have now reached 91% of their annual intake target. Kudos to the Alexandria team!

We know that everyone is working hard toward meeting their intake goal as set by DBHDS this year, and we are here to support CSBs/Agencies as they aim to reach their goals.

If you have questions or need support with any aspect of GPRA administration, please reach out to our team at OMNI: SORsupport@omni.org

TA Outreach Guidance

Our SOR TA Team consists of five dedicated OMNI staff members, each taking turns weekly to be on email duty and promptly addressing your questions. While you may interact with different team members from week to week, rest assured that our team collaborates closely to stay informed about any ongoing or emerging CSB issues.

To ensure the most efficient and accurate support for your GPRA-related inquiries, we wanted to remind you of our key communication practices between our TA Team and the CSBs/Agencies we serve. Please use the following preferred communication channels to reach us so that we may provide you with timely and precise assistance:

  1. Request TA from our team through our Website: Request TA — Virginia SOR Support

  2. Email us directly at: SORSupport@OMNI.org, rather than emailing TAs at their individual TA email addresses

We deeply appreciate your commitment to data-driven inquiry and the impactful work you do in your communities. We look forward to supporting you with your GPRA processing needs.

OMNI Kudos to CARITAS for Reaching Their SOR III Intake GPRA Goal Early!

As we near the last quarter of the SOR grant year, we want to continue highlighting CSBs or Agencies that are doing great at meeting their intake and follow-up goals, engaging and supporting clients, and demonstrating a "spirit of inquiry" when engaging with our TA Team on GPRA administration issues.

This month, we’d like to give the CARITAS team a special shoutout! CARITAS has already reached 100% of its annual Intake GPRA target completion goal, showing great diligence in completing these important GPRA interviews. Kudos!

CARITAS Healing Place Evaluation Assistant Steven Wilson shared his journey from being a recovery participant in CARITAS' programs to continuing as the Evaluation Assistant there. He feels that navigating the programs as a participant has been instrumental in his holistic approach to reaching their intake goals by connecting with participants and starting their recovery journey. He understands the challenges individuals face with scheduling and uses his own experience to enhance the support systems within the programs. Steven shared tips that have helped them meet their intake goal early:

“I have been able to track participants and their progress, which has allowed me to identify the best times for survey scheduling. One of the key improvements I have implemented is offering additional appointment times to the existing schedule of survey interviews. By integrating these new appointment times, we can ensure that every participant receives the intake survey. One of the most impactful aspects of my experience has been the opportunity to connect with the participants who are just beginning their journey. This connection not only allows me to give back to the community that has supported me but also enables me to understand and relate to the schedules and challenges that new participants face.”

We know that everyone is working hard toward meeting their intake goal as set out by DBHDS this year, and we are here to support as CSBs/Agencies aim to reach their goal.

If you have questions about this or need support with any aspect of GPRA administration, please reach out to our team at OMNI: SORsupport@omni.org

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.