PROVIDENCE – Fifteen Rhode Island nonprofit organizations on Thursday were granted a total of $3.35 million from both the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Rhode Island Foundation to address opioid use, treatment and prevention.
“Opioid use disorder is so pervasive that this epidemic affects nearly every Rhode Islander in some way. These grants directly impact and benefit organizations that are focused on expanding access to prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery,” Neil D. Steinberg, Rhode Island Foundation CEO and president, said in a statement. “As the state’s community foundation, we are pleased to be a partner in distributing these much-needed dollars and look forward to seeing their impact.”
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Seven organizations, including Coastline EAP of Warwick, Providence Children and Youth Cabinet, Rhode Island Sports Union, Substance Use and Mental Health Leadership Council of Rhode Island, The Providence Center, The Rhode Island Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and Woonsocket Prevention Coalition, will share $2.5 million in the Community Prevention Services for Youth Opioid Mitigation category, which supports evidence-based or evidence-informed, community-based opioid prevention services targeted toward children and youths up to age 21.
The Woonsocket Prevention Coalition will use its grant to train and engage local students to provide naloxone training to teens and adults, as well as to assist with naloxone distribution within their schools and the community. Naloxone is an opioid-overdose antidote.
“Recently, a number of [youths] from Woonsocket began meeting weekly and discussing recent events within their schools and the city regarding the opioid overdose crisis, as well as recent violence, and the importance of prevention,” Lisa Carcifero, Woonsocket Prevention Coalition executive director, said in a statement. “They quickly realized they needed support from our staff, supplies, materials and equipment as well as training on how to create their messaging, find their voice and lift their voice through advocacy within their schools, community and state.”
Eight organizations, including Access To Recovery, Bridgemark of Warwick, Justice Assistance of Cranston, MAP Behavioral Health Services of Providence, Project Weber/RENEW of Providence, 2nd Act Org of Providence, Strategic Prevention Partnerships of Little Compton and VICTA Life of Providence, will share $750,000 in grants in the Capacity Support for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Prevention, Harm Reduction, and Recovery Agencies category, which supports small, grassroots nonprofit organizations that are carrying out key opioid mitigation activities.
MAP Behavioral Health Services in Providence will use its grant to add two full-time counselors to provide culturally competent, opioid-related, substance use disorder care in a diversified environment.
“Our clinicians come from a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds that facilitates the rehabilitation and recovery of its clients,” Lionel Fernandez, MAP Behavioral Health Services CEO and executive director, said in a statement. “Their individual and group therapy sessions represent the cornerstone of activities that have a major positive impact on client recovery and long-term sobriety.”
