(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department shall develop and implement a harm reduction grant program, referred to in this section as the "grant program", to reduce health risks associated with drug use and improve coordination between law enforcement agencies, public health agencies, and community-based organizations. The department may contract with an independent entity for the administration of the grant program.
To be eligible to receive grant funding pursuant to this part 11, an entity must be anonprofit organization in good standing and registered with the federal internal revenue service and the Colorado secretary of state's office, a local public health agency established pursuant to section 25-1-506, or a law enforcement agency. Grantees must be willing to provide services to individuals who may not be ready to seek addiction treatment services or who are in recovery.
On or before November 1, 2019, the department shall develop:
Eligibility criteria for nonprofit organizations, local public health agencies, and lawenforcement agencies;
The grant application process and schedule;
A process for determining the amount of each grant that is awarded; and(d) The performance metrics and data collection required of grantees.
(4) (a) Permissible uses of funding provided pursuant to this grant program include, but are not limited to:
Trainings relevant to the field of harm reduction, which may include how to administer naloxone;
Purchasing and providing sterile equipment and syringe disposal equipment;
Providing direct services to persons who have come into contact with or who are atrisk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, which may include accessing treatment and health care services, overdose prevention activities, and recovery support services;
Outreach and engagement to people who come into contact with or who are at riskof coming into contact with the criminal justice system and who are in need of mental health or substance use disorder services;
Facilitating communication, training, and technical assistance among law enforcement agencies, public health agencies, and community-based harm reduction agencies; (VI) Coordinating local efforts regarding co-responder and diversion programs; and (VII) Auricular acudetox training and services.
(b) In order to ensure grantees are coordinating efforts across public health and criminal justice systems at the local level, funding may be used to support a harm reduction and law enforcement liaison who has experience working with community-based organizations, local public health agencies, and law enforcement agencies.
(5) The department shall not award any grant money in excess of the amount in the harm reduction grant program cash fund created pursuant to section 25-20.5-1102.
Source: L. 2019: Entire part added, (SB 19-008), ch. 275, p. 2597, § 5, effective August 2.