In 2022, the Arkansas Municipal League and the Arkansas Association of Counties came together to create the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), which represents an unprecedented, united front between the representatives of local government against opioid misuse in Arkansas. Using the Arkansas Opioids MOU, settlement agreements, and court orders approving settlements and bankruptcies, ARORP is funding evidenced-based programs and strategies to abate the opioid epidemic in Arkansas’s cities and counties.

In partnership with CADCA, the nationwide association of more than 5,000 community coalitions leading community-based efforts to create safer, healthier cities and counties, ARORP has created a streamlined training for city and county officials in Arkansas to help you understand more about the opioid epidemic and, most importantly, how to engage with your residents to fund and lead efforts that are proven to reduce the spread of opioid and other substance use disorders.

The Community Advocate Network (CAN) is a city and county wide initiative designed to address the opioid crisis through education, advocacy, and connection. This program will place dedicated Community Outreach Coordinators in counties across Arkansas to provide resources, combat stigma, and connect families, schools, justice partners, and local leaders with lifesaving support.

The main priority of CAN will be to meet directly with county judges and city mayors. By engaging these local leaders face-to-face, our program coordinators will ensure that every community’s leadership is informed, equipped, and connected to the full range of opioid abatement resources available through ARORP.

Through partnerships with schools, hospitals, businesses, and justice programs, the CAN program will: Equip city and county officials with knowledge via ARORP’s Video Education Series, Expand education on opioid risks and prevention, Increase naloxone access and overdose response training through ARORP’s HERO Project, Engage the business community through the Together AR initiative, Support reentry and recovery programs for justice-involved individuals.

By fostering collaboration, empowering local leadership, and breaking down stigma, CAN will help ensure Arkansas communities are better prepared, better informed, and better connected in the fight against opioids.