Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
Contact: Elizabeth K Elmore
(540)343-4417
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Roanoke Valley Collective Response Receives Funds from Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority
Roanoke, VA (June 27, 2023) — The Roanoke Valley Collective Response received $500,000 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to continue its work of building and expanding a regional recovery ecosystem. This funding represents the first year of a proposed five-year project.
The Opioid Abatement Authority was established in 2021 by Virginia’s General Assembly to disseminate funds from the National opioid settlements, with $23 Million in grants being issued state wide this year.
“The Commission is pleased to expand the impact of its newest regional program, the Roanoke Valley Collective Response, and appreciates the support of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority in furthering this important work across the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Region,” said Regional Commission Chair Phil North.
“The Roanoke Valley Collective Response is uniquely positioned to convene the best minds in the region to identify and develop effective solutions,” said Lee Clark, Chair of the RVCR Advisory Committee. “This funding will help us continue to provide technical assistance to localities in abating opioids and improving the health of our communities.”
The Cooperative Partnership grant with the City of Roanoke and Roanoke County addresses barriers which include housing, transportation, and stigma reduction as part of a successful recovery ecosystem. The proposal will be achieved by supporting the individualized and collective needs of the localities as well as raise the visibility of the Collective Response to foster increased participation and collaboration across organizations. The project will also aim to improve visibility and compatibility among data systems across the medical, planning, and emergency response sectors to enable more effective data sharing and reporting.
“Roanoke County is pleased to support the City of Roanoke and the Regional Commission in seeking this important investment from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority,” said Richard Caywood, Roanoke County Administrator. “This funding will further assist the Collective Response in pursuing the array of services, educational efforts, and programs that best meets the needs of Roanoke County and all our regional partners.”
“We are excited to see the City’s initial commitment to the Roanoke Valley Collective Response result in this new investment that will expand and deepen the work of this important program,” said City Manager Bob Cowell. “We’re further pleased to join our partners in Roanoke County and beyond to support a truly regional response to the growing crisis of addiction.”
Additionally the Roanoke Valley Collective Response provided technical assistance to the City of Roanoke in identifying and prioritizing individual project needs totaling $252,867. These projects include training on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a peer recovery specialist for the Sheriff’s Office & Adult Detention Center, xylazine test strips and lab equipment for prevention and harm reduction efforts, marketing campaign for the “warm line” at Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare, as well as naloxone and training for Fire & EMS.
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A program of the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission, the Roanoke Valley Collective Response is a multi-sector initiative working across systems to solve the opioid and addiction crisis across the region. With goals of collaborating across multiple disciplines, educating the community, and implementing recovery-oriented solutions, RVCR ultimately seeks to tackle the root causes of addiction crisis and implement regional solutions to abate the substance use disorder crisis. RVCR is comprised of over 230 members and 150 organizations across 11 localities.
The Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission (RVARC) is one of 21 regional planning agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Member governments include the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke; the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem; and the towns of Clifton Forge, Rocky Mount and Vinton. The mission of the Regional Commission is to be a leader in driving collaboration and strategy within our communities on issues that are critical to the economic growth, quality of life, and the sustainability of this region.
