Florida's State Opioid Response Project
Florida’s State Opioid Response (SOR) Project is a federal grant administered through the Florida Department of Children and Families. Florida’s SOR project implements a comprehensive approach to addressing opioid and stimulant misuse, disorders, and overdoses. The populations of focus are uninsured and underinsured individuals who misuse stimulants (including cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulants) or opioids, and individuals diagnosed with an opioid or stimulant use disorder. The overarching goal of the project is to reduce numbers and rates of opioid-caused deaths. A major objective is to increase access to the most effective treatments for opioid and stimulant use disorders, including increased admissions to buprenorphine or methadone maintenance treatment.
The SOR-funded service array for opioid and stimulant misuse and disorders is comprehensive and covers the entire spectrum of care across primary prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support domains. Covered services include outreach, assessment, crisis support, intervention, medical services, day care, day treatment, case management, incidental expenses, in-home/on-site, outpatient (including intensive outpatient), recovery support, supported employment, supportive housing, and aftercare.
SOR project activities include the following:
• Hospital bridge programs, which initiate medication assisted treatment (MAT) services in the Emergency Department and link individuals to longer-term care through a community-based network MAT service provider, will be maintained and expanded.
• Naloxone nasal spray distribution, and associated overdose recognition and response training, will increase through a Naloxone Saturation Plan implemented by the Department’s Overdose Prevention Program (OPP).
• To prevent opioid and stimulant misuse among young people, SOR funds are used to implement evidence-based prevention programs such as Life Skills Training and multifaceted media campaigns, among others.
• Recovery support services include increased access to recovery housing, with a goal to establish 44 additional Oxford Houses per year.
• SOR funds will be used to support existing, new, and emerging Recovery Community Organizations through training and technical assistance facilitated by Faces and Voices of Recovery.
• Deployment of Recovery Quality Improvement Specialists to conduct quality assurance reviews around recovery-oriented practices and manage activities related to the development of recovery-oriented systems of care.
• Behavioral Health Consultants will use their clinical expertise to collaborate with child protective investigators and dependency case managers to build knowledge within front line staff for identifying substance use disorders, improving engagement with families, and improving access to treatment.
• Mobile and telemedicine-based low-barrier buprenorphine clinic program development training/TA will be provided through a partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
• Additionally, the project will expand the MAT Prescriber Peer Mentoring Project, which uses expert mentors, who are physicians, to advise and guide prescribers through both formal instructional sessions and real-time consultations.
• The department has allocated SOR funds to each Region in the State to contract for behavioral health services and recovery supports through regional systems of care or Managing Entities.
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Florida’s State Opioid Response (SOR) 3 Project (September 30, 2022 through September 29, 2024):
Florida’s State Opioid Response (SOR) 2 Project (September 30, 2020 through a No Cost Extension period ending September 29, 2023):
• Project Narrative
• Budget Narrative Supplement
• STR Grant Outputs and Outcomes Report
• SOR Annual Report Year 1
• SOR Annual Report Year 2
• Budget Narrative Year 2
• Florida SOR Resources
• Florida WITS User Guide July 2020
GPRA Tools and Forms
• GPRA Tool: This tool is completed at intake, 6-month follow-up, and discharge.
• GPRA Supplemental Form: This form is completed at all 3 data collection points.
Florida's State Opioid Response Project Contact
Crystal Lilly, MS
Project Director
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Florida Department of Children and Families
2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 400
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4190
@email
Mary Jo Hatala Sellers, MA, FCCM
Project Coordinator
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Florida Department of Children and Families
2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 400
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4190
@email
Alex Parodi, MSD
Data Coordinator
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Florida Department of Children and Families
2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 400
Tallahassee, FL 32303-4190
@email