Twenty-two local health departments in North Carolina will receive a share of $1.8 million to implement high-impact, community-level strategies to address the opioid crisis based on the NC Opioid Action Plan.
The one-time funding is from a $4 million cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that was recently awarded to DHHS' Division of Public Health.
“Communities were the top priority for this funding,” said Alan Dellapenna, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch Head. “We are excited to receive this emergency funding from CDC to reach communities that need it most and who are readily equipped to take action on the opioid crisis.”
The one-time grants of up to $100,000 encourage local health departments and districts to partner with local agencies and community-based organizations to implement strategies such as syringe exchange programs, connection of justice-involved persons to treatment and recovery services and post-overdose response teams with emergency medical services. Thirty-four local health departments across the state applied for the funding.
“The strategies that local communities selected will prevent fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses, increase access and linkages to care services for the most vulnerable populations and build local capacity to respond to the opioid epidemic in North Carolina,” said Dr. Susan Kansagra, Section Chief for the Chronic Disease and Injury Section.
Awardees include the following local health departments/districts:
- Alamance County Health Department
- Appalachian District Health Department
- Beaufort County Health Department
- Buncombe County Health and Human Services, Department of Health
- Cabarrus Health Alliance
- Cleveland County Health Department
- Dare County Department of Health & Human Services — Public Health Division
- Davie County Health Department
- Durham County Department of Public Health
- Forsyth County Department of Public Health
- Granville-Vance District Health Department
- Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health
- Haywood County Health & Human Services Agency
- Hoke County Health Department
- Iredell County Health Department
- Macon County Public Health
- Mecklenburg County Health Department
- Nash County Health Department
- County of Onslow, Onslow County Health Department
- Pitt County Health Department
- Stanly County Health Department
- Wake County Human Services
The NC Opioid Action Plan was launched in June 2017 with collaboration from stakeholders across the state. The plan identifies key strategies to curtail the opioid epidemic, including reducing overprescribing of opioids, reducing the flow of illicit drugs and diversion, increasing community awareness and prevention, increasing access to naloxone; and expanding treatment and recovery-oriented systems of care.
For more information about the plan and efforts to-date, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/opioid-epidemic.