U.S. Department of Labor: Re-Employment Support and Training for the Opioid Related Epidemic

The Re-Employment Support and Training for the Opioid Related Epidemic (RESTORE) Grant Program will support projects that directly address the employment needs of women affected by the opioid crisis and combat its impact in some of the hardest hit areas of the country. Applicants will establish and/or build on cooperative relationships among service providers and key stakeholders in order to train and employ women workers who have been adversely affected by the opioid crisis. Applicants may propose to serve women workers in communities impacted by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose. Grants are intended to provide employment training, career services, and supportive services to women who have been directly or indirectly affected by the opioid crisis in order to support positive outcomes for women participants.

RESTORE grants will address issues through multi-disciplinary partnerships that are able to provide coordinated, employment-focused services to women affected by the opioid crisis. The program’s primary objective is to establish cooperative relationships among service providers and key stakeholders from community-based and nonprofit organizations, state and federal workforce development systems, public health and substance abuse treatment professionals, and other human services and support service entities, in order to train and employ women workers who have been affected by the opioid crisis.

Through the grant, organizations, such as particularly active and engaged state and local women’s commissions, will provide and deploy critical promising practices and insights, targeted outreach, and overall subject matter expertise to support positive outcomes for women affected by the crisis. The applicant should be well versed in administering programs connected with the public workforce system. In addition, the applicant must demonstrate how it will take a robust response to this urgent epidemic and establish a program that will allow it to quickly address the challenges faced by the most disadvantaged women. Applicants should also have experience serving disadvantaged communities and a history of success in changing women’s lives. Recognizing that some women impacted by the opioid crisis may have had exposure to the criminal justice system, applicants are encouraged to work with partner organizations experienced in providing services for reentry.

Allowable use of funds under the grant may include, but are not limited to:

• Career Services – Soft skills, work-readiness skills, life skills, and career skills, including classes that teach and assist with punctuality, personal maintenance skills, negotiation skills, and professional conduct; and career planning, job coaching, mentoring, peer coaching, and job referral services
• Classroom, On-the-Job, and Work-Based Training – Traditional classroom and/or online training to gain and strengthen skills in order to attain economic and career success; and on-the-job training, customized training, or work-based training programs, which may include apprenticeship and other programs, to help women gain new skills while working and earning a paycheck, and by connecting businesses and workers

Funds must not be used to pay the costs of in-patient drug treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Amount: Approximately $2,500,000 is available to make up to eight awards ranging from $250,000-$500,000 for a period of performance of 30 months.

Eligibility: State governments, Indian/Native American Tribal governments or organizations, state or local workforce development boards, or non-profit organizations including community-based or faith-based organizations.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=318777

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