Opioid Workforce Expansion Program (OWEP) Paraprofessionals

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Opioid Workforce Expansion Program (OWEP) Paraprofessionals program. The purpose of this program is to enhance community-based experiential training for students preparing to become peer support specialists and other types of behavioral health-related paraprofessionals with a focus on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and other Substance Use Disorders (SUD) prevention, treatment and recovery services. Consistent with the statutory authority, applicants must also demonstrate a special focus on preservice or in-service training of paraprofessional...

Eligible applicants include the following: State-licensed mental health nonprofit and for-profit organizations. These organizations must be able to carry out programs for pre-service or in-service training of paraprofessional child and adolescent mental health workers. These programs can include occupations such as peer support specialist, peer support counselor, community health worker, outreach worker, social services aide, substance abuse/addictions worker, youth worker, and promotor/a (for full list of occupations see the definitions section). For the purpose of this NOFO, these organizations may include academic institutions, including universities, community colleges and technical schools, which must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as specified by the U.S. Department of Education. Tribal Organizations may apply for this these funds, if otherwise eligible. In addition to the 50 states, eligible entities include the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration OWEP-para@hrsa.gov