PROVIDENCE – Regional prevention coalitions in Kent and Washington counties have announced more than $360,000 in grants to be distributed among 15 community organizations that are working to combat the opioid crisis.
Grant money was given to the coalitions by the R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, which is distributing federal State Opioid Response Grant funds. Both the Kent County and Washington County groups received $181,143, which they awarded using a competitive bidding process.
A total of 22 groups entered bids detailing how they would use the money, and 15 were selected to receive funds.
MENTOR Rhode Island, a Kent County nonprofit that will receive more than $10,000, plans to match 10 Warwick students who are affected by the opioid crisis with volunteer mentors.
In Washington County, known locally as South County, The Compass School, a charter school that received about $4,800, aims to help students and faculty cope with stress by teaching social and emotional skills.
Supporting communities as they combat opioid abuse and addiction is one of the most effective things the state can do, said BHDDH Director Rebecca Boss, who is also a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Overdose Prevention and Intervention.
Rhode Island is “held up as a national model” for its fight against the opioid crisis, Boss added, telling a recent gathering at the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick that “there is nothing that we at the state are going to do alone that is going to make a difference. The difference is here, the difference is in this room, the difference is with all of you.”
Grants were awarded as follows:
- Integrative Healthcare Solutions received $50,000.
- Thundermist Health Center received $45,773.
- Boys & Girls Club of Warwick received $38,682.
- Boys & Girls Club of Newport – South Kingstown received $37,133.
- Grands Flourish received $29,209.
- Boys & Girls Club of Newport – Westerly received $26,826.
- Westerly Education Center received $26,219.
- Town of East Greenwich received $22,200.
- St. Thomas Episcopal Church received $15,088.
- Bridgemark Addiction Recovery Services received $10,550.
- MENTOR Rhode Island received $10,241.
- Wood River Health Services received $9,197.
- Coventry Public Schools received $8,860.
- Hospital Association of Rhode Island received $8,207 (South County funding).
- Friend’s Way received $8,000 (Kent County funding).
- Friend’s Way received $7,863 (South County funding).
- The Compass School received $4,832.
- Hospital Association of Rhode Island received $3,350 (Kent County funding).
