OPIOID FUNDING

19. Bridging the Gaps — Miller County

20. Smith Drug — Benton County

Project Spotlight: Coalition Partnership Empowerment (COPE)

Thirteen coalitions spanning 15 counties have been selected for the Coalition Partnership Empowerment project, which provides community coalitions funding to develop and strengthen their team over the next decade.

“Coalitions are one of the most effective ways to empower communities to prevent substance misuse locally,” ARORP Deputy Director Barnes said. “It is a privilege to see these 13 coalitions honored for their work and empowered to continue protecting their communities against the dangers of substance misuse.”

Approved community coalitions will receive $25,000 in funding to attend personalized training with the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) to strengthen and develop their coalitions. At the end of the project, coalitions will apply for federal Drug Free Communities grant funding. The Drug Free Communities Support Program provides coalitions with up to $125,000 per year for five years with the possibility of renewal. If all approved community coalitions become Drug Free Communities federal grant recipients, this could put more than $8 million back into Arkansas community coalitions over the next five years.

Coalitions 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 GAPS of Arkansas — 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

Project Spotlight: Arkansas Take Back

Arkansas Drug Take Back is a statewide effort to safely destroy unused prescription drugs.

“Most young adults who misuse prescription drugs get them from the home of a friend or a family member,”

Continued From Page 25

ARORP Director Kirk Lane said. “We all need to do our part to keep our homes and communities safe.”

Across the state, there are over 275 Take Back boxes available for Arkansans to safely dispose of their unneeded prescriptions. ARORP also funded 25 new Take Back boxes. Thirteen have been placed in Chidester, Shannon Hills, Guy, Fayetteville, Sulphur Springs, Pea Ridge, Fort Smith, Earle, Tuckerman, Central City, Bonanza, Conway and Stamps. If you would like a Take Back box in your community, please reach out to Joy Spence at jspence@arorp.org.

This year, students have helped lead the charge to promote Drug Take Back. Students Robert Baker, Troy Riggs, and Ryland Kramarenko from Hot Springs’ Fountain Lake Cobras East High School filmed and directed a short commercial for the event using the original slogan “Drop it in the Box.” Hass Hall Academy student Muhammad Ali Alrubaye also developed informational content to promote Arkansas Drug Take Back, even assisting ARORP in hosting a social media challenge.

Application Opportunities

Applicants must fill out an online application at www. arorp.org/funding-opportunities/. There is no need to hire a grant writer; the application is user-friendly. The settlement funds are intended for the creation or expansion of opioid prevention, treatment and recovery projects. The money is not meant to replace or supplant existing funding.

There are four categories of proposals. The general proposal allows flexibility for an organization to submit any project related to opioid prevention, treatment, and/or recovery. Community leaders should assess their community’s needs, then submit a proposal to address existing gaps in services.

Apply to be a Naloxone Community Hero (HERO) to bring naloxone and training on its use to your community’s residents who need it most: people at risk of opioid overdose and their close friends and family members. (Please note that naloxone from ARORP cannot be distributed or sold to first responders or harm reduction groups.)

Law enforcement agencies, drug task force agencies and local governments can submit an Overdose Response Team (ORT) proposal. An ORT partners a law enforcement criminal investigator with a peer recovery specialist (PRS) to respond to fatal and non-fatal overdoses within their jurisdiction.

Finally, community coalitions can apply for extra training through CADCA with a Coalition Partnership Empowerment (COPE) proposal. However, this application will not be available again until 2024.

Help us turn the state purple. Encourage organizations in your area to create new projects in opioid prevention, treatment and recovery.