[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6652855,"mediaKeyId","2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71","parentId",2489250,"title","Council approves Cycle 2 budget increase, sets new grant selection limits; ETSU requests contract extension","audioSeconds",5380,"startMs",1360000,"endMs",6740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71&start=1360&end=6740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71/thumbnail_1360000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6652855/Tennessee/Council-approves-Cycle-2-budget-increase-sets-new-grant-selection-limits-ETSU-requests-contract-extension","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652855-932018b2e05aacdd8ce727d04681aff2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437843&Signature=AvqCcpSAYeR4Dh4eAmicrwS0KU4SYhYymntP0qA1Tbel~AITHzh5b302Ip8e3CeLMfXsfhky3CuJZcHNAHeqTSHTroA6whSzsANAoos~geDt0Dr-2nbT7mPNLQ9QawwV65-ITLvqkc9DgF-hlSIMLQrJ6Ey83GKTBjPThqcDFDiCGza0~~pd0mtGCHuZdXrOzXk7gARc3vhUhYggCH9k5bUiuRlh2UFwhIiMz9xY2E1CtZ-u-RuF1vf~0P7TRltIeUOV0k3BdwUADLD55CFH4EitBf53lg-F3wxXeS2mJUVO79A5QgdpgnyrquHZd4UZnAgl4jZqDMRmwSYHIbZ~mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services","date","2025-03-04T19:00:42.943Z","article","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council approved a revision to the Cycle 2 community grants budget and adopted new application screening rules intended to reduce risk and encourage particular strategies.

Finance staff reported the opioid abatement trust fund's net cash on hand as $209,718,708.83 (statement current to January 2025). Staff said approximately $25 million will be available for allocation at the council's next meeting after planned commitments are reconciled. Council staff also reported that recent settlement receipts — including funds from the Kroger settlement — increased the trust fund and allowed staff to recommend raising the first-year Cycle 2 award pool by $5 million. The council voted to increase the Cycle 2 first-year award amount from $20 million to $25 million and to raise the three-year maximum pool from $60 million to $75 million.

Staff described the Cycle 2 procurement as unusually large: 294 applications requested roughly $417 million in total across all strategies. To reflect prior council encouragements the staff proposed moving some award percentage targets toward primary prevention, harm reduction and recovery support and away from education/training and research; the council asked staff to hold the allocations steady until scoring is complete and said staff should flag collaborative applications in scoring reports.

As part of a risk-control package the council also approved a qualification limiting requests from very-new organizations: if an applicant organization has been incorporated for less than 24 months, its requested grant funding cannot exceed 100% of that agency’s operating budget. Council members said the limit is intended to reduce the chance of awarding large sums to newly formed entities that do not have an operating history. The council also discussed — but did not finalize during this meeting — a proposal limiting organizations to a single award per cycle; members noted fairness concerns for applicants who submitted multiple distinct projects.

Separately, Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU) sought a one-year extension on a three-year workforce grant because academic recruiting timing delayed faculty hires. ETSU asked to convert a three-year contract into a four-year contract without raising the overall budget (year-3 funds would roll to year 4). Staff said ETSU has begun additional recruiting and that a budget revision could be offered instead to make two-year hires more competitive. The council did not record a formal vote on the ETSU request during the meeting; staff said they would return with a recommended route (budget revision or contract extension) and the council’s next steps.

Cycle 1 grant monitoring work also continued: staff reported 338 invoices received (payments and processing totaling more than $10.3 million as of Feb. 26) and an updated total of more than $11 million in invoices paid by the following Friday. Fiscal monitoring site visits are underway and staff plan a round of program site visits between April and June.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TN Opioid Abatement Council Meeting: March 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved a $5 million per-year increase to Cycle 2 community grant awards and added screening steps and a funding cap for newly incorporated applicants; East Tennessee State University asked for a one-year contract extension for a workforce development grant.","taxTitle","Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",17394,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6652858,"Council approves $2 million to reopen Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathway scholarships",661,3134000,3795000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71&start=3134&end=3795","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71/thumbnail_3134000.jpg","/articles/6652858/Tennessee/Council-approves-2-million-to-reopen-Tennessee-Behavioral-Health-Pathway-scholarships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652858-aa9e335ae69313fb177b38af95721aff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437843&Signature=M0ahn2AMNeKb6XoDFBACIlAYSVp-7GPUsW~dpvhLkEvAucnhhe0vpOAMl3S3pbpMbiFGRdVtL3Lw11n-JILg9-bDjniAPO726zHXDt8zZ~JtzIERe4ddZ0ryudENuLnCNALNfjNztGFveJsGlKDu1LxoWxr2P8Jrvdgc6gfAzejxVmXNWNk2TpunN03Xl0zeE9Ajh3OTpKNoLcAYnnmEPySn06FFxjfL2RzrwdsVt0BUL7fpl3b-9hzGZ9WDWL5Ux73pTsC0keun93f5~R8Dx-jLge~726Pr34PvwG1VdSanQTimU4-OkKcOj~Gml18bl0K8~~JYjNBQT3y1jj10Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted to allocate $2 million over two years to reopen and expand the Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathway Scholarship, a program that pays tuition for graduate-level behavioral health students who commit to work for Department-funded treatment agencies after they complete their degrees.

Matt (department staff) told the council the program was originally funded with $3 million from a special legislative appropriation in 2023 and that it has awarded scholarships to nearly 100 students as of January 2025. The OAC presentation said the average scholarship awarded so far is about $17,000 per student. The department and administering partners — including the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO) and the Tennessee Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (TADAS) — said demand has been high: more than 800 applications were received during the initial portal opening.

The scholarship pays tuition and related costs in return for a work commitment. Recipients must be Tennessee residents and must agree to work for a Department-funded mental health and substance-abuse treatment agency for a period commensurate with the award. Council and department staff said the requirement is intended to place trained providers in the public behavioral-health workforce and to reduce vacancy and turnover among treatment agencies. Staff reported a combined 21% reduction in vacancy rates among participating TAMHO and TADAS member agencies that have hired scholarship recipients.

During discussion council members asked whether nurse practitioner 'bridge' programs — combined RN-to-practitioner tracks — would be eligible. Staff said the original program focused on master’s-level behavioral-health clinicians (counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychiatric nursing) because master's-level clinicians represent the largest anticipated workforce shortfall, and federal loan-forgiveness programs do not cover many of those roles. Some members urged later consideration of expanded eligibility for certain NP bridge pathways; others cautioned that changes should not be made hastily.

The motion to allocate $2 million over two years passed by roll call. The motion specified that the council would follow the scholarship's existing rules and the program's partner organizations would administer funds and recruitment. Staff said additional state and American Rescue Plan funds have already been used to expand the initial program, and the council's contribution would allow the portal to reopen to remaining applicants.

Council members asked staff to return with a precise accounting of how any award would affect other grant cycles and with details on administration and eligibility as the portal reopens.","The Opioid Abatement Council approved a two-year, $2 million allocation to reopen the Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathway Scholarship program to fund master’s-level behavioral health trainees required to work for state-approved treatment agencies after graduation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6652863,"Opioid Abatement Council adds vice chair, adopts governance and transparency policies",360,856000,1216000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71&start=856&end=1216","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2489250-3198944ac82fdbc17a281ba893af0b71/thumbnail_856000.jpg","/articles/6652863/Tennessee/Opioid-Abatement-Council-adds-vice-chair-adopts-governance-and-transparency-policies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652863-174c37e03cbe25208ee04039c08c0ba8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437843&Signature=KY-4EWa2QLHfUFoptMRDtT2u7XbA~9e5USrquE1mLihfT2ZWhznsUjxJPdsvTHfYKtCgB5OVvRCGFQFwVdHrpLw9OrSIOduNnT4-zIkpnMHqT1aGsb33CPHlfCsUzjf8Rt7RfekooyoOh61eZv5E16M3N94QgIzz6Ncap7vY8H~11w6CtxGfWKWKYsV3eo83OlUMBnr85NcKCD90Po88sg19P8-gZ5B2OatcZQytqclqgkG7E5qkFO8x3Dr3DZwCqshZIJNRTqJssao9bXz8PeZ9VdgTisZZ843j1ghzoHKW5W-dTGTA1UNoFyShmTJAlBYmR0t8JA1opugI2fv4bw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Mary Moore, chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council, led the council on Thursday in a series of governance votes to formalize leadership and policy procedures. The council voted to create a vice chair position and then elected Dr. Clay Jackson to that spot. Members also approved four written policies — a communications policy, a county funding policy, an OAC office duties policy and a transparency policy — that the council said respond to gaps identified during a recent state comptroller audit.

The moves are aimed at creating continuity in council leadership and clearer written rules for how the council and its staff operate. \"We need this written down,\" Moore said while introducing the set of policies, adding that the documentation creates legacy and continuity beyond individual staff or council members.

The council discussed how adding a vice chair would help with continuity when the chair is unavailable or must recuse herself. Steve Lloyd and several other council members supported a vice-chair model over co-chairs to avoid confusion about who presides at meetings. The motion to establish the vice chair position passed and the council then opened nominations; Stephanie Vanderpool nominated Dr. Clay Jackson, and the council confirmed him by roll call.

Council members said the newly approved policies were developed in consultation with OAC staff and outside advisors and were revised after feedback from members. The communications policy was updated to change one scheduling-related term; the county funding policy includes a \"remediation list\" and a checklist intended to ensure county uses of funds meet the council's requirements; the OAC office duties and transparency policies codify internal responsibilities and public-facing disclosure practices. Several speakers told the council the policies were intended to make the OAC's grantmaking and oversight easier to audit and to address public concern about how abatement funds are spent.

Mayor Moore repeatedly emphasized transparency, telling listeners the council does not decide funding decisions outside public meetings. Members also noted the comptroller will perform financial reviews and that procedures in the county funding policy are meant to help counties demonstrate compliance with their letters of agreement.

The council recorded roll-call votes for each of the policy measures and for establishing the vice-chair position. All motions carried.","The Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council voted to create a vice chair position, elected Dr. Clay Jackson to that role and approved four policies intended to improve oversight and compliance after a state comptroller review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves Cycle 2 budget increase, sets new grant selection limits; ETSU requests contract extension

Council approves $2 million to reopen Tennessee Behavioral Health Pathway scholarships

Opioid Abatement Council adds vice chair, adopts governance and transparency policies