Two area coalitions awarded funds to help with opioid crisis in Arkansas
May 5, 2023 5:08 am | Link to original article by KLTO
In a recent presentation, the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP) announced thirteen awardees of the Coalition Partnership Empowerment (COPE) initiative with two coalitions from Baxter, Marion and Newton counties selected.The Prevention Awareness Youth Support (PAYS) coalition supporting Baxter and Marion counties, and Newton County Hometown Health each received $25,000 in funding to attend personalized training to enhance their grassroots efforts towards abating opioid misuse across the state. At the end of the project, coalitions will be trained to apply for the federal Drug Free Communities Support Program which could put over $16 million back into Arkansas community coalitions over the next ten years.
Director of the Juvenile Division of the 14th Judicial District Circuit Court Cheryl Green states “this funding is awarded to the local counties to prepare the coalitions to apply for the Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant which funds the coalition for five years in the amount of $125,000 per year. Our goal is to develop youth advisory boards on each campus in Baxter and Marion counties, Youth leading Youth.”
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), an initiative of the Arkansas Municipal League and the Association of Arkansas Counties, represents an united front between the representatives of local government to abate the loss of life caused by the opioid epidemic in Arkansas communities. The Partnership oversees the strategic disbursement of opioid settlement dollars at the city and county levels and works to reduce overdose deaths through prevention, treatment, enforcement, and recovery.
Other coalitions in Arkansas who were selected for the COPE project include:
Amazing Angels – Chicot County
The Young Artist Studio – Union County
Sebastian County Opioid Task Force – Sebastian County, Scott County
Carroll County Hometown Health – Carroll County
Prevention Awareness Youth Support (PAYS) – Baxter County, Marion County
Newton County Hometown Health – Newton County
Greene County Mental Health and Substance Abuse – Greene County
Bridging the Gap – Miller County
The Harvest House – Clark County
Madison County Health Coalition – Madison County
Healing in the Hood – Mississippi County
Succeeding in Success – Desha County
DAAF Youth Coalition – Ashley County
