Committee adds harm reduction, treatment and recovery to RFP pillars; clarifies eligible applicants

During a detailed review of the draft application, committee members pushed to explicitly list the program pillars so applicants understand the scope of allowable projects. One participant recommended being inclusive: "You could list all four of the strategies if you want to just be inclusive of everything," and the committee agreed to add harm reduction alongside prevention, treatment and recovery.

The committee also discussed applicant eligibility. The draft specifies that organizations providing services in Hancock County — public and private entities, nonprofits and for-profits, domestic and faith-based community organizations, educational institutions, tribes and tribal organizations — are eligible. Members debated whether to require applicants to submit specific proof documents now or to rely on applicants' prior grant experience and address details in contract negotiations.

"I like that," one member said when the draft was amended to include treatment alongside prevention. Staff (June) agreed to add the pillars in the opening request-for-proposals language and to insert a definition of "promising practice" already present earlier in the draft.