Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers - Workforce Development and Adult Learning

The Department is hosting a pre-proposal conference on September 10 at 1:00 pm. To RSVP, please email Anna Whitney at anna.whitney@maryland.gov.

The Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP) program is helping more Marylanders in rural communities access support to address their substance use by alleviating the shortage of Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CPRS) in our state. A CPRS leverages a combination of personal experience of recovery from substance use or mental health challenges and formalized training to support others with their recovery journey. Through RAMP, grant funds will be competitively awarded to organizations that commit to:

• Provide free training and certification to prospective peer recovery specialists to become certified in the state of Maryland.
• Increase growth, advancement, and retention opportunities for current certified peer recovery specialists through professional development opportunities that prepare them for higher-level behavioral health roles.

The Maryland Department of Labor administers the RAMP program through a $2 million award from the Maryland Office of Overdose Response’s  Opioid Restitution Fund.

Eligible applicants must be able to demonstrate their ability to serve residents in rural areas of the State hardest hit by workforce shortages and those areas with a high prevalence of opioid-related overdose deaths. Organizations may each apply for up to $200,000 in grant funds to conduct RAMP activities between February 1, 2026 to May 31, 2028.

Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on November 21, 2025

Application Documents

Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP) Policy

Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP) Narrative Application

Rural Advancement for Maryland Peers (RAMP) Budget Application 

Maryland Overdose Data Dashboard

Maryland Addiction and Behavioral Health Professionals Certification Board

Maryland State Office of Rural Health