SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The City of South Bend is relaunching the Community Nonprofit Partner Program to assist residents seeking treatment for opioid use disorder.

City officials say this is the third version of this service, run by Commuters Trust, a public-private partnership that provides subsidized transportation for low-to-middle income residents.

“For residents with Opioid Use Disorder, transportation can be a key barrier to accessing treatment and support,” said Madi Rogers, South Bend Chief Innovation Officer. “Relaunching CNPP with this focus will help bridge that gap for residents seeking this life-saving care.”

The program will provide transportation benefits to nonprofit organizations' clients.

Benefits will include fully subsidized Uber rides and an unlimited monthly Transpo bus pass.

Organizations must meet the criteria below to be eligible:

• 501(c)3 status or equivalent
• Have a business location within St. Joseph County, Ind.
• Directly serve OUD clients in St. Joseph County, Ind. with addiction recovery services
• Provide services to clients who face transportation insecurity causing inability to access critical services
• Agree to support participant referral and enrollment (and renewal/unenrollment), basic participant support, and data collection

“In previous iterations of CNPP, we’ve worked closely with OUD recovery providers and consistently seen how critical reliable transportation is for the clients they serve,” said Transportation Program Manager Lynn Wetzel. “This next phase builds on those partnerships, helping remove barriers and support clients in accessing care with dignity throughout their recovery.”

Commuters Trust will host a virtual informational meeting on June 11 for interested organizations. You can register for the meeting online.

Organizations may submit applications for the program online, beginning on June 12. The application period will end June 26, with the program expected to start Sept. 1.

For more information, you may email Lynn Wetzel at [email protected].