Fulton County, Georgia – A grant deadline is approaching in Fulton County, but the larger clock has been running for years. Opioid overdoses continue to take hundreds of local lives, leaving families, schools and workplaces to carry the damage long after an emergency call ends.
Now, the county is turning to community organizations for help before the next crisis begins.
Fulton County released a request for proposals on July 6, 2026, for its Prevention, Response Education and Priority Action for Recovery & Engagement program, known as PREPARE. The initiative will direct opioid abatement funding toward prevention, education and recovery support for residents at risk for, or already living with, Opioid Use Disorder.
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Applications are due August 12, 2026. Organizations interested in applying can attend a virtual information session on July 22 at 2 p.m. Registration and proposal materials are available through BidNet Direct.
The need is clear. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 241 Fulton County residents died from opioid overdoses in 2023. Opioids and other substances are linked to hundreds of deaths in the county each year, while many more residents are hospitalized or lose educational and employment opportunities as substance use disrupts their lives.
The PREPARE program is designed to reach more than one group. Funded organizations will serve residents at risk for Opioid Use Disorder, people already living with the condition, those with co-occurring mental illness and individuals facing additional substance use disorders.
County officials are seeking proposals built around a holistic and barrier-free model. That means successful grantees will be expected to make prevention and education easier to reach, while also helping individuals and families navigate recovery. Support may include pathways connected to education, employment and other opportunities that can help people rebuild stability.
Proposals will be reviewed by the Fulton County Regional Advisory Council on behalf of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and under the guidance of the Georgia Opioid Abatement Trust. Fulton County qualifies as a Block Grant recipient for opioid abatement funds, placing the county in a position to invest settlement resources directly into local responses.
The funding effort also fits into Fulton County’s broader work to close gaps in healthcare access. Residents who are uninsured or underinsured can receive free, high-quality mental health treatment through the Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
For organizations already working in prevention, behavioral health, recovery or community outreach, the proposal window offers a chance to expand that work with county support. For residents, the goal is more immediate: fewer barriers, earlier help and stronger routes toward recovery before another overdose becomes part of next year’s count.
