Mountain Community Health Partnership (MCHP) is pleased to announce they are one of twelve organizations to receive one-time grant funding to combat the opioid crisis. Governor Cooper has announced that a total of $1.5 million in grant awards will be given to the twelve organizations. The purpose of these funds is to advance the goals of the NC Opioid Action Plan. It will enable MCHP to implement activities in our community that improve access to harm reduction, treatment, and recovery supports. “Community efforts to turn the tide on the opioid crisis deserve our support,” Governor Cooper said. “These grants are another example of the collaborative effort we need to fight overdoses, save lives, and connect people to treatment statewide.”
Mountain Community Health Partnership is a Federally Qualified Health Center serving Mitchell, Yancey, and surrounding counties. MCHP will use this funding to establish a network of peer support specialists and post overdose response teams who can meet with people who are struggling with addiction where they are. Our residents are in desperate need of assistance in fighting the opioid epidemic. It has become increasingly clear that if we are to make an impact on this problem, we must move beyond the walls of our clinics and into the community to engage our neighbors.
“I am thrilled to begin collaborating with community agencies in order to develop a post overdose team. This effort is fueled by the needs of our communities, which like many others have been hard hit. MCHP is dedicated to helping our communities address the opioid crisis and this is the next step in a natural progression as we build and create programs to support families and treat individuals who are struggling with this medical, chronic, relapsing disease. People who are using drugs are surrounded by other people who are using drugs. Even when the person has a desire to quit using, treatment can be difficult to access and restoration of health seems unattainable. The team at MCHP already includes medical and behavioral health providers who work collaboratively to treat patients with substance use disorders. This grant will enable MCHP to add Peer Support Specialists to our team. While working together with community agencies, we will strive to support and link folks with treatment and community resources, create opportunities for change, transform life threatening events and enhance community resilience.” –Amy Earnheart, LCSW, LCAS
For more information, or to learn more about our health center please contact:
Amber Dillinger, Outreach and Enrollment 828-688-6621 adillinger@mchp.care
