Opioid Abatement Authority tells applicants to file direct-distribution reports by April 1 and follow portal budget sequence

Sherikica Bridges, senior grants compliance analyst for the Opioid Abatement Authority, told webinar attendees that "a completed and submitted direct distribution report is required of all participants in an OA application" and must be filed through the OA grants portal by April 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Bridges, joined by Matt Terrell, a business analyst for the Opioid Abatement Authority, outlined several application rules applicants must follow: complete every required field marked with a red asterisk (or mark non‑applicable fields "N/A"), list a relevant contact for each partner city or county (the portal contains an "OA administrative" placeholder that is not an actual contact), and ensure partner cities and counties each submit direct distribution reports because fiscal agents cannot view partner submissions. Bridges advised partners to confirm submissions directly with their fiscal agents and said applicants with questions can contact OA at info@va.us or via the portal's communication tools.

On cooperative partnerships and renewals, Bridges said applicants submitting renewal requests should not have to complete the cooperative-agreement e-signature process again; if the portal requires re-signing for a renewal, applicants should contact OA for assistance.

Bridges recommended completing the budget in the portal in the sequence listed: first personnel expenditures (including FY25 carry-forwards and any requested FY26 staffing funds), then operating and capital expenditures, and finally the budget overview. She said FY25 expenditures and encumbrances entered in the personnel and operating/capital sections auto-populate the budget overview and failing to complete those sections first can prevent saving and progressing. For renewal applicants, Bridges noted that FY25 performance does not end until June 30, so applicants should provide their best available estimates now; OA will request a mid‑July true-up report to reconcile carry-forward amounts.

During the Q&A, an attendee identified in the session as "Champion" asked whether generic "operating expenses" and "capital expenses" lines in the portal correspond to specific partner line items or to historical uploads. Bridges offered to review the attendee's portal view after the call to map those entries and to check whether prior email amendments appear in the portal. She said OA would follow up offline to advise how to record expansions of partner projects (whether to add a new line or include new amounts in an existing program line with narrative explanation).

Bridges closed by pointing attendees to guidance documents hosted on the OA website (individual distribution guidance, cooperative partnership guidance, performance-measures guidance, and direct-distribution reporting instructions) and noting that OA has also circulated the direct-distribution guidance via its news blast. Attendees with further questions were asked to use info@va.us or the portal chat/communication functions for follow-up.

The webinar ended with OA staff offering individualized portal assistance for complex cooperative partnership entries and renewal e-signature errors.