The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Northern Border Rural Workforce (RCORP-Northern Border) is a federal grant opportunity administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. It aims to enhance behavioral health workforce capacity in rural communities within the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) service area, which includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. The program is structured to train, place, and sustain behavioral health professionals in these rural areas to address the significant shortage of providers and the rising demand for behavioral health services.

The primary goal of this program is to form a network-based approach to training behavioral health professionals, ensuring they are placed in sustainable employment within the targeted rural service area. The program consists of a four-year funding cycle, with the first year dedicated to planning activities such as forming partnerships, developing curricula, and recruiting trainees. The subsequent three years will be used to implement training and job placement initiatives. The program also mandates the development of a sustainability plan to ensure continued availability of services after the federal funding period.

Eligible applicants must be public or private, nonprofit or for-profit organizations with a physical location in one of the four eligible states. Organizations may include public and private higher education institutions, local and state governments, school districts, Native American tribal governments, and nonprofit entities. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Additionally, each applicant must be part of a network comprising at least four organizations, with at least 50% of the network partners located within the designated rural service area.

The program will distribute up to eight grants, with an annual funding ceiling of $400,000 per award, and a total funding pool of $3,200,000 for the 2025 fiscal year. The award period spans four years, from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2029. Funding is contingent on congressional appropriations and subject to HRSA review. Cost-sharing or matching funds are not required for this grant.

Applicants must submit their full application by April 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time through Grants.gov. Applications will be reviewed based on six key criteria, including organizational capacity, approach, work plan, data collection, budget, and sustainability strategies. HRSA expects to announce award decisions by September 1, 2025. A pre-application informational webinar will be scheduled, and interested applicants are encouraged to subscribe for updates.

The grant program requires applicants to track and report workforce training and job placement outcomes, ensuring the funded professionals provide behavioral health services in their designated communities. Recipients will also participate in an RCORP learning collaborative, facilitated by HRSA’s technical assistance provider, to share best practices and address challenges in workforce development. A designated project director, data coordinator, and learning collaborative contact are required for program management.

For inquiries related to program eligibility and application requirements, applicants may contact Caitlin Dunn, Program Coordinator at HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy via ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov or call 301-480-9743. For budget and financial questions, contact Lissette Young, Grants Management Specialist, at lyoung@hrsa.gov or 301-287-9864.