AZRHTP - Opioid Antagonist Distribution

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state Medicaid agency for Arizona, has released a Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) under the Arizona Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to support the Opioid Antagonist Distribution initiative. This opportunity represents part of a broader federally funded effort supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The RHTP is a five-year initiative designed to improve healthcare access, workforce capacity, and population health outcomes for rural and rural Tribal communities across Arizona, targeting approximately 800,000 residents. The program emphasizes strengthening infrastructure and addressing disparities in underserved areas, particularly in behavioral health and substance use disorder services. The primary purpose of this grant is to expand access to opioid antagonists such as naloxone and to strengthen overdose response systems in rural and rural Tribal communities. Funded projects are expected to distribute life-saving medications to first responders and community organizations, provide training on overdose recognition and response, and build coordinated systems that improve emergency response capacity. The initiative is designed to reduce overdose mortality by improving response times, increasing availability of interventions, and ensuring connections to follow-up treatment and recovery services. Funding is structured across three tiers, each corresponding to different scales of intervention. Tier 1 supports community-level efforts such as local distribution and training programs, Tier 2 supports regional coordination including shared systems and protocols, and Tier 3 supports multi-county system-level initiatives involving integrated networks and infrastructure development. Applicants must propose new or expanded activities that increase service capacity or geographic reach. Projects that simply maintain existing services or duplicate funded programs are not eligible. Administrative costs are capped at seven percent of each award, with additional oversight for compliance with federal and state requirements. Eligible applicants include a defined set of entities such as rural county health departments, Tribal governments and health authorities, rural EMS agencies, critical access hospitals, community-based organizations, and regional healthcare collaboratives. Applicants must demonstrate that services will be delivered in rural areas as defined by federal criteria, regardless of the applicant’s physical location. Tribal partnerships are strongly encouraged and may receive scoring advantages, particularly when supported by formal agreements or culturally responsive program design. Applications must be submitted through the State of Arizona’s online grant system, EUNA. Submission requires adherence to all instructions provided in the solicitation, and late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the system for updates and amendments. Questions must be submitted electronically by the specified deadline, and a pre-application conference is available for applicants who register in advance. Accessibility accommodations are available with advance notice. The application window opens on July 10, 2026 and closes on August 7, 2026. The initial period of performance runs through October 30, 2026, corresponding to the first budget period of the larger five-year RHTP program. Continued funding in subsequent years depends on submission and approval of annual continuation applications, satisfactory performance, and availability of federal funds. Evaluation criteria emphasize alignment with program goals, geographic need, collaboration, and the ability to improve measurable outcomes in overdose response capacity.

20 to 40 hours