Rural Communities Opioid Response Program
September of 2018, St. Luke's Hospital-Miners Campus has been awarded a 3 year grant, "Rural Communities Opioid Response Planning Grant" from the Health Resource and Service Administration(HRSA). The hospital created a network of partners with community engagement for health care coordination to identify opioid prevention and treatment resources and develop strategic and workforce plans to reduce opioid-associated morbidity and mortality. In 2019, the hospital was awarded the "Rural Communities Opioid Response Implementation Grant" from HRSA to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance abuse disorder (SUD) in the high-risk community by strengthening the organizational and infrastructural capacity through a multi-sector consortium. The target population for this project includes the students, staff, families and community members of Tamaqua Area School District (TASD), Panther Valley School District (PVSD), Child Development, Inc (Head Start Schuylkill County program) and PathStone Corporation (Coaldale Head Start program).
VISION, along with St. Luke's Miners, PVSD, TASD, Child Development Inc. (Head Start, Schuylkill County program), Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Porogram, and Carbon Monroe Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission, is a Consortium Partner for the Grant. As a Consortium Partner VISION has agreed to implement evidence-based interventions and promising practice models, such as Trauma Informed Trainings, to expand access to, and strengthen the quality of, SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services in high-risk rural communities. VISION also attends monthly meetings with consortium members and community partners to oversee goals, objectives; identify implementation barriers, challenges and opportunities for process and impact outcomes; and disseminate prevention, treatment and recovery information and resources.
To date VISION has assisted in conducting trauma informed training and stigma presentations to over 400 county professionals and community members. VISION staff also attends and participates on the Rural Community Opioid/Substance Response (RCORP) Steering Committee, Schuylkill County Prevention Partnership and Schuylkill County REACH Coalition. VISION looks forward to providing additional assistance in reaching communities through website and social media content around stigma, prevention, and services.
VISION, along with St. Luke's Miners, PVSD, TASD, Child Development Inc. (Head Start, Schuylkill County program), Schuylkill County Drug and Alcohol Porogram, and Carbon Monroe Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission, is a Consortium Partner for the Grant. As a Consortium Partner VISION has agreed to implement evidence-based interventions and promising practice models, such as Trauma Informed Trainings, to expand access to, and strengthen the quality of, SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services in high-risk rural communities. VISION also attends monthly meetings with consortium members and community partners to oversee goals, objectives; identify implementation barriers, challenges and opportunities for process and impact outcomes; and disseminate prevention, treatment and recovery information and resources.
To date VISION has assisted in conducting trauma informed training and stigma presentations to over 400 county professionals and community members. VISION staff also attends and participates on the Rural Community Opioid/Substance Response (RCORP) Steering Committee, Schuylkill County Prevention Partnership and Schuylkill County REACH Coalition. VISION looks forward to providing additional assistance in reaching communities through website and social media content around stigma, prevention, and services.