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County Gets Grant To Combat Opioid Problem

MAYVILLE — The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene has been awarded a $200,000 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Planning grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The purpose of RCORP is to support treatment for and prevention of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, in rural counties at the highest risk for substance use disorder.

“This grant is great news for our community as we continue to fight the opioid epidemic, and we would like to thank George Borrello for his leadership on this serious issue,” said Congressman Tom Reed. “We care about those affected and will continue to fight to deliver the resources our law enforcement need to fight drugs and work to ensure our neighbors have fair access to treatment, recovery and prevention options.”

This grant funding will help the Countywide Alliance for Enforcement and Rehabilitation complete core activities.

CAER was formed in early 2018 by County Executive George Borrello to address rapidly-increasing opioid use across Chautauqua County. Since its inception, CAER has acted as a formal group of organizations that convenes to address the opioid problem. Its goal is to bring all sectors of the community together to reduce the incidence and prevalence of opioid use disorder across the county.

“As we continue our collaboration on addressing the opioid issue with CAER, this grant will help us with vital outreach and coordination,” Borrello said. “The opioid crisis affects us all as we are all exposed to the crime that follows addiction and the lost productivity among our workforce. The efficient and effective use of our resources is vital to saving lives and achieving success. This award from a very competitive federal grant shows that our efforts are moving in the right direction.”

Through the grant funding, CAER will be able to develop and strengthen its collaborating organizations, conduct a detailed analysis of opportunities and service gaps for individuals struggling with addiction, and complete strategic workforce and sustainability plans to address key capacity and planning necessary for the effective implementation of opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery in the County.

“The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene was glad to support CAER by applying for the RCORP Planning grant through HRSA,” said Patricia Brinkman, Chautauqua County Community Mental Hygiene Services director. “These grant funds will strengthen the efforts of CAER and will further support the county executive’s collaborative work to combat the opioid crisis in the County. I also thank our partner, Chautauqua County Health Network, who was instrumental in assisting our application.”

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