HTP Restoring WV's Workforce

Key Dates:

• Solicitation Opens: 07/06/2026
• Applicant Questions Due: 07/09/2026 Close of business
• Solicitation Closes: 07/20/2026 23:59
• Section One - Executive Summary The State of West Virginia (the State) has been awarded approximately $200 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), established under Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump on , 2025. The State's RHTP is administered by the West Virginia Department of Health under executive leadership and oversight of the Office of the Governor. These funds, which flow down from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will be used to reduce chronic disease burden, increase workforce participation, and improve measurable outcomes in our rural communities by increasing healthcare technology to ultimately improve both quality and access to healthcare. Furthermore, this initiative supports Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's “Making America Healthy Again (MAHA)” and Governor Morrisey’s “Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia” goals by focusing on nutrition, wellness, and local food sources. The West Virginia RHTP consists of seven initiatives: Connected Care Grid, Rural Health Link, Mountain State Care Force, Smart Care Catalyst, Health to Prosperity, Personal Health Accelerator, and HealthTech Appalachia. The Health to Prosperity (HTP) Program will emphasize preventative, root-cause focused solutions that address drivers like lifestyle behaviors, rather than relying on episodic, downstream interventions. HTP focuses on strengthening workforce participation by addressing behavioral health-related barriers to staying at work, reducing avoidable absenteeism, or returning to work, including but not limited to severe mental illnesses (e.g., bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder), substance use disorder (SUD) such as alcohol, opioid use or other substances, or other co-occurring behavioral health conditions. HTP will further emphasize integration of other preventative, root ‑ cause focused solutions that address poor health and functional impairment such as unmanaged chronic disease, lifestyle factors, and delayed intervention, rather than relying on episodic, technology or treatment-only, downstream care that often coincides with workforce exit or long ‑ term disability. While programs may address select co-occurring barriers where necessary, all activities must remain primarily focused on SUD stabilization, recovery, and workforce reintegration. Applicants that cannot demonstrate either a credible measurement plan or expected needle movement within the defined performance period will not be prioritized for funding. HTP prioritizes improved health, functional ability to perform essential job duties, (defined as an employee’s capacity to safely perform the essential duties of the job with or without accommodation), and care coordination for populations most likely to experience work disruption due to behavioral health needs, specifically SUD. This initiative within RHTP is governed by the following principles: 1. Early Stabilization and Integrated Support Systems as a Workforce Strategy Programs must prioritize early identification and stabilization of SUD, with rapid transition into recovery ‑ oriented environments that support return to work. Models must demonstrate coordinated navigation across clinical, recovery, and employment systems. 3: July 4 11:59 p.m
• Section Two - Key Dates and Other Information Date of Release , 2026 Technical Submit written requests to mike.sheets@wv.gov Assistance Application July 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Deadline Applicants may apply for the ceiling amount of the awards listed below. Funding is for one year. This funding must be spent no later than July 31, 2027. Continued funding for future years is not guaranteed and is contingent upon the State’s receipt of subsequent awards from CMS as well as the grantee’s satisfactory performance and compliance with requirements described in this AFA and determination by the State. Funding will be released according to State-approved milestone deliverables. Pillar: Help West Virginians Get Back to Work Staffing for RTW liaisons $800,000 Ongoing Funding Available Staffing for RTW supervisors $100,000 Data Spine and Technology $550,000 Infrastructure Support Start-Up, Program Development, $550,000 and Technical Assistance Total $2,000,000 A detailed line-item budget and budget narrative must accompany the application. All CMS requirements imposed upon the State will likewise be imposed upon the grantees, as applicable. Monies awarded by the State through this awardable Grant may not be Cost-sharing used to meet cost sharing requirements of any federal or state financed 6: July 7
• Requirement program without the prior written approval of the RHTP. This funding is not to be used to supplant current activities and staffing. All counties in West Virginia, focusing on those with the greatest Geographic Areas barriers for individuals with substance use disorders to receive support and enter/re-enter the workforce. Organizations with demonstrated experience providing return-to-work support for those that are unemployed, which remove SUD barriers to employment through community liaison models, coordination to needed services, navigation of employment processes and options, and standard ready-to-work protocols specific to employer needs. This includes organizations which focus on SUD recovery-to-work programs with embedded rehabilitation program coordination (e.g. psychiatric services, outpatient therapy, partial hospitalization programs). Employers will participate as implementation partners but are not eligible applicants for direct grant funding. Eligible applicants may include, but are not limited to: Commercial organizations or other organizations with the capacity to Eligible Applicants support this work Health systems or provider ‑ affiliated entities State universities or colleges Workforce or employment ‑ support organizations Regional or community ‑ based organizations with demonstrated employer engagement capacity Applicants must demonstrate the operational capacity and governance structure to deploy field ‑ based staff, coordinate across healthcare and employer settings, and meet State reporting and compliance requirements. Through , 2027 Funding Period This is the date by which the grantees must spend and submit invoices for funds under this award. Liaisons: A person who connects an individual with employers and continues advocacy and navigates with an employer on behalf of the Key Definitions employee/participant Supervisor roles: Provide supervision to liaisons, peer recovery support 7: July 31
• Section Four: Introduction to the Rural Health Transformation Program The State of West Virginia (the State) has been awarded approximately $200 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), established under Section 71401 of Public Law 119-21, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump on , 2025. These funds will be used to reduce chronic disease burden, increase workforce participation, and improve measurable outcomes in our rural communities by increasing healthcare technology and improving both quality and access to healthcare. Furthermore, this initiative supports Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's “Making America Healthy Again” and Governor Morrisey’s “Four Pillars of a Healthy West Virginia” goals by focusing on reducing the State’s chronic disease burden, improving nutrition and wellness, and supporting local food sources. The West Virginia RHTP has seven pillars and this money flows down from CMS. Within this broader statewide transformation, Health to Prosperity serves as the critical bridge between behavioral health stabilization and economic vitality. As one of RHTP’s flagship initiatives, Health to Prosperity is designed to address barriers that prevent West Virginians from participating in the workforce. Unlike traditional models that focus on retrospective crisis management, this initiative emphasizes proactive, coordinated interventions that support both recovery and workforce reintegration. Programs should prioritize immediate stabilization and treatment of SUD as the primary driver of return ‑ to ‑ work outcomes, while incorporating MAHA ‑ aligned interventions (e.g., nutrition and metabolic health) to support long ‑ term stability, reduce relapse risk, and improve retention. In doing so, Health to Prosperity advances the RHTP vision by positioning health as a dynamic driver of workforce participation and long ‑ term economic resilience across the Mountain State. Health to Prosperity, in coordination with other RHTP initiatives, will focus on tracking these outcomes and fostering data-driven accountability through integration with the State-led data spine. Where the State’s data spine or interfaces are not fully live, grantees will be expected to support State ‑ approved interim data submission methods without delay. Programs implemented by grantees will address the following goals: 1) Goal 1 : Help West Virginians get back to work by reducing the duration and likelihood of SUD-related work absences and unemployment The primary goal of this program is to shorten the time individuals spend out of work due to SUD, prevent future avoidable workforce exits, and reduce repeated or prolonged absenteeism when health challenges arise. Programs must rapidly identify individuals at risk of SUD ‑ related work disruption and provide coordination across clinical and recovery supports to enable timely return to work or prevent premature workforce exit for participants placed with an employer through the program. RTW programs should support integrated coordination of clinical (e.g. therapy, partial hospitalization programs, rehabilitation), employment, and other co-occurring needs through a liaison and/or Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS), point of contact who can provide coordination of 11: July 4
• Section Five: Expected Performance Measures and Outcomes Financial Reporting: ● Revised milestone-based grantees line-item budget and narrative: due 2nd Monday after grantees award. This budget must clearly distinguish between the one-time start-up costs eligible for advance payment and the subsequent costs to be claimed for reimbursement upon achievement of milestones. ● Monthly financial reporting: Use of grant funds in the previous 30 days. ● Annual audit Programmatic Reporting: ● Actively participate in all CMS and State-led governance activities to include those performed by CMS, the State, or their consultants. This includes, but is not limited to, financial, operational, and programmatic reviews. These reviews may be conducted onsite or virtually. Furthermore, all activities must align with CMS and State priorities. ● Monthly program reports: due starting the 15th of the full month following each grantee’s award date, and the 15th of the month thereafter in the state-designated system, using CMS’ approved template. ● Quarterly program reports: due 15th day of the second month after each grantee's award dates and every three months thereafter, using CMS approved template. ● Expenditure Deadline: As subrecipients of the State’s award, all successful applicants must fully expend their awarded funds, and submit invoices to the State, by , 2027. Report templates to be provided when approved by CMS. The grantees will provide timely and measurable results monthly to the Health to Prosperity Program Manager. Preference should also be given to interventions that measurably improve workforce participation, reduce disability burden, enable return-to-work outcomes, and/or generate durable economic impact in West Virginia. For example, companies who hire in West Virginia, relocate operations to or commercialize in West Virginia and who are focused on growing the workforce locally should be prioritized as this will fuel the economic engine and create long-term sustainability. Reports/Products/Deliverables: The grantees will be required to produce and submit the following reports, products, and deliverables in a format and cadence defined by the State: ● A finalized intervention design with target population defined, associated scope of 18: July 31

Review Criteria:

• evaluation criteria below. An application must score at least 80% to be funded. Evaluation: Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria ● Organizational Capacity, Experience, and Readiness – 25% ● Impact of the Project on Health Outcomes – 20% ● Feasibility and Implementation Plan – 20% ● Long-Term Project Sustainability – 20% ● Budget – 15% 22
• Application Components: 1. Application Narrative The application narrative must be organized by the sections listed below. This is designed to directly align with the evaluation criteria. a) Section 1: Organizational Capacity, Experience, and Readiness: describe your ability to implement the project and your readiness to comply with the requirements of this subaward based on your organization’s experience and capabilities. Please include the resumes of key program members. b) Section 2: Impact of the Project on Health Outcomes: describe how the project would impact on the community and ultimately improve health outcomes for the population of focus. c) Section 3: Feasibility and Implementation Plan: describe your specific approach for implementing the project. In addition to the narrative, please provide a detailed task and outcomes-oriented GANTT chart through July 2027. Applications should outline speed to operational launch and data readiness. d) Section 4: Long-term Project Sustainability: describe how the project will become self-sustaining after Year One. The grantees must also demonstrate a clear path to financial sustainability independent of RHTP funding within the first 24-36 months of receiving initial RHTP funds. The application narrative should provide a clear and concise description that directly addresses the requirements outlined in this AFA. Emphasis should be placed on completeness and clarity of content; overly lengthy or generic marketing materials are strongly discouraged. 2. Detailed Line-Item Budget (DLIB) and Budget Narrative a) Please complete the attached DLIB form. Note that monies will be disbursed no later than September 30, 2027, once milestones are met. b) Please complete a Budget Narrative-Justification with specific d