Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Rural East Tennessee
The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – East Tennessee Consortium (RCORP-ETC) strives to create healthy communities by enhancing health promotion and prevention, collaboration, and access to health services and care. Together these efforts will promote safety, physical and emotional wellness, and economic security.
Faith Leaders Wanted!
COURAGE is currently looking for faith leaders in Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Granger, Jefferson, Scott or Union Counties interested in learning about the impact of substance use disorder (SUD) in their community to help better support those impacted. By becoming a part of COURAGE Faith Leaders Overcoming Opioids in the Community (FLOC), they can support and nurture those affected by SUD and learn ways to incorporate recovery support in their faith communities. This is a 4 month program that includes a $500 stipend upon completion. To get involved, contact Marta Cogburn (First United Methodist Church, Newport) at martacogburn@gmail.com or Kyle Prichard (The Hill Church, Claiborne) at pastorkyle@thehillcc.net.
Visit tiny.utk.edu/FLOC2023 or scan the QR code to sign up by February 28, 2023.
For an overview of the program and more information, please see the documents attached below
Member Spotlight
RCORP’s very own Dr. Jennifer Tourville provided an insightful interview on the alarming nature of the epidemic of opioid deaths in the US for HealthConnections. The discussion provides an overview of the current status of the epidemic, Dr. Tourville’s biggest concerns, as well as what is being done to combat the issue. You can find the interview here.
COURAGE
RCORP-ETC has just been approved to begin working on a new project: Combatting Opioid Use in Rural Appalachia with Grace and Evidence. COURAGE will work to address 2 main goals: (1) prevent opioid use disorder (OUD) with an emphasis on rural adolescents and their caregivers and (2) enhance and expand OUD treatment and recovery services by promoting integrated, interdisciplinary care and reducing stigma.
The COURAGE service area will span six rural counties (Scott, Campbell, Union, Claiborne, Grainger, and Cocke) and two census tracts in partially rural Jefferson county, an area which has been shown to be particularly vulnerable to OUD and related poor health outcomes among young adults and adolescents. COURAGE hopes to effectively get treatment for OUD to those who need it most, without those suffering from OUD having to worry about any kind of stigma or shame.
RCORP_COURAGE_Brochure_1.30.23
NOW
Project NOW is continuing its efforts to to prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in rural East Tennessee. Initiatives of this project include (1) Enhancing quality of the provider workforce through professional training; (2) Incorporating family planning into healthcare visits; and (3) Expanding behavioral health workforce and youth health promotion services.
Useful Information
