Georgia Council For Recovery Inc

GEORGIA COUNCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF RECOVERY PROJECT: EXPAND PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA. - THE GEORGIA COUNCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE (GCSA) BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF RECOVERY (BCOR) GRANT PROJECT WILL EXPAND PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS PRESENTING TO THE RURAL NORTHEAST GEORGIA HEALTH SYSTEM EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT IN LUMPKIN COUNTY GEORGIA. THE BCOR GRANT PROGRAM WILL ALSO ALLOW GCSA TO ENTER FORMAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE HALL COUNTY FAMILY TREATMENT COURT AND DIVISION OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO PREGNANT MOTHERS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER(SUDS). IN ADDITION TO PEER SERVICES, GCSA WILL FACILITATE TRAININGS TO EDUCATE HALL COUNTY DFCS STAFF ON THE RECOVERY PROCESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MINIMIZING STIGMA WHEN WORKING WITH FAMILIES. WITH A POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 33,000 PEOPLE, LUMPKIN COUNTY RESIDENTS OFTEN EXPERIENCE CHALLENGES WHEN ACCESSING RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES. COMMUNITIES ACROSS GEORGIA HAVE BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS AND LOCATIONS WHERE TRUST, STIGMA, AND LANGUAGE ARE MAJOR BARRIERS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN AND SEEKING RECOVERY FROM SUD. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED IN RURAL COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING PEER RECOVERY COACHING AND SUPPORT TO NORTHEAST GEORGIA HEALTH SYSTEM'S (NGHS) LUMPKIN COUNTY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT; INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PREGNANT MOTHERS SERVED, SPECIFICALLY THOSE ENROLLED IN HALL COUNTY FAMILY TREATMENT COURT, BY PROVIDING QUALITY PEER RECOVERY COACHING AND SUPPORT; INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PREGNANT MOTHERS SERVED, SPECIFICALLY THOSE WITH ACTIVE/ONGOING CASES AT HALL COUNTY DFCS, BY PROVIDING QUALITY PEER RECOVERY COACHING AND SUPPORT; AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR DFCS STAFF AND PEERS BY DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING TRAININGS RELATED TO RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES. A PRIMARY COMPONENT OF THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES TRACKING DATA AND OUTCOMES THROUGH IMPLEMENTING PLANS OF SAFE CARE (POSC) WITH NEW AND EXPECTING MOTHERS AS WELL AS USING GPRA MEASUREMENT TOOLS. UTILIZING POSC WILL ALLOW PREGNANT WOMEN AND RECOVERY COACHES TO WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY SUPPORTS NEEDED TO FIND AND MAINTAIN RECOVERY FROM SUD BEFORE GIVING BIRTH TO THEIR INFANTS. IN ADDITION TO SERVING PEERS WITH SUD IN A RURAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS TO KEEP MOTHERS, INFANTS, AND FAMILIES HEALTHY AND UNITED. PEER COACHES WILL SERVE AS ADVOCATES AND PEERS WILL BE CONNECTED TO RECOVERY SUPPORTS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE BCOR PROGRAM WILL EXPAND AND ENHANCE PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO BECOME A MODEL FOR PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT PROGRAMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS TO BE SERVED: YEAR 1-50, YEAR 2-64, YEAR 3-69. TOTAL SERVED (MINIMUM) = 183.

GCSA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN RCO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

EXPANDING OPIOID OVERDOSE SUPPORT AND PREVENTION-GEORGIA OVERDOSE PREVENTION - GEORGIA OVERDOSE PREVENTION (GOP) IS A STATEWIDE, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION WORKING UNDER THE GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR RECOVERY DEDICATED TO REDUCING OVERDOSE DEATHS THROUGH OVERDOSE EDUCATION, NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2012, GOP HAS BECOME A LEADING OVERDOSE PREVENTION ORGANIZATION IN GEORGIA, HELPING PASS THE STATE'S MEDICAL AMNESTY LAW ( DON'T RUN – CALL 911! ) AND BUILDING A NETWORK OF MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEER DISTRIBUTORS SERVING URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. DESPITE RECENT DECLINES IN OVERDOSE MORTALITY, THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC CONTINUES TO POSE A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE IN GEORGIA. BETWEEN 2014 AND 2023, GEORGIA RECORDED 11,931 OPIOID-RELATED DEATHS, WITH SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS SUCH AS FENTANYL DRIVING THE MAJORITY OF FATALITIES. ALTHOUGH OVERDOSE DEATHS HAVE BEGUN TO DECREASE, RATES REMAIN HISTORICALLY HIGH, UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR SUSTAINED COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION EFFORTS. OVER THE PAST DECADE, GEORGIA OVERDOSE PREVENTION HAS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 211,000 NALOXONE RESCUE KITS, TRAINED OVER 102,000 GEORGIANS TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO OVERDOSE, AND DOCUMENTED MORE THAN 15,500 OVERDOSE REVERSALS. THESE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED OVERDOSE PREVENTION STRATEGIES IN REACHING POPULATIONS AT GREATEST RISK. FUNDING WILL EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN OVERDOSE PREVENTION SERVICES ACROSS GEORGIA THROUGH THREE PRIMARY ACTIVITIES: 1. EXPANSION OF NALOXONE ACCESS: GOP WILL PURCHASE APPROXIMATELY 30,000 ADDITIONAL NALOXONE RESCUE KITS (60,000 DOSES). THESE LIFE-SAVING KITS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE AT RISK OF OVERDOSE, THEIR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY RESPONDERS. FUNDING WILL ALSO HELP ESTABLISH A RESERVE INVENTORY TO PREVENT ANNUAL SHORTAGES AND RATIONING OF LIFE-SAVING SUPPLIES. CREATING THIS SAFETY NET WILL ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES AND RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF NALOXONE DURING PERIODS OF INCREASED DEMAND. 2. DISTRIBUTION OF CPR RESCUE BREATHING MASKS: THE INCREASING PRESENCE OF SUBSTANCES ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION HAS HEIGHTENED THE IMPORTANCE OF RESCUE BREATHING DURING OVERDOSE RESPONSE. GOP WILL DISTRIBUTE POCKET-SIZED CPR RESCUE BREATHING MASKS ALONGSIDE NALOXONE AND OVERDOSE EDUCATION MATERIALS TO INCREASE BYSTANDER CONFIDENCE AND PREPAREDNESS. THESE MASKS WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL TOOL TO SUPPORT EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE BEFORE EMS ARRIVAL. 3. EXPANSION OF NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION BOXES (NDBS): IN 2023, GOP LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVE NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION BOX INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE 24-HOUR ACCESS TO NALOXONE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. AT THAT TIME, ONLY THREE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION SITES EXISTED STATEWIDE. GOP DEVELOPED AND INSTALLED COMMUNITY-BASED NDBS, COLLABORATED WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, AND CREATED THE GEORGIA NALOXONE MAP WWW.GANALOXONE.COM TO HELP RESIDENTS LOCATE FREE NALOXONE. THE NETWORK HAS SINCE EXPANDED TO MORE THAN 100 PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE NALOXONE ACCESS POINTS. HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT GEOGRAPHIC GAPS REMAIN, AND MORE THAN 20 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE CURRENTLY WAITING TO HOST NDBS. FUNDING WILL SUPPORT THE INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, STOCKING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED TO SUPPORT CURRENT SITES AND EXPAND THIS NETWORK INTO ADDITIONAL HIGH-RISK COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS WHERE ACCESS TO OVERDOSE PREVENTION RESOURCES REMAINS LIMITED. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO NALOXONE, STRENGTHEN GEORGIA'S COMMUNITY OVERDOSE RESPONSE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND REDUCE BARRIERS TO OBTAINING LIFE-SAVING SUPPLIES. BY LEVERAGING AN ESTABLISHED STATEWIDE VOLUNTEER NETWORK AND TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, GOP WILL EXPAND OVERDOSE PREVENTION SERVICES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST, HELPING SAVE LIVES AND SUSTAIN RECENT PROGRESS IN REDUCING OVERDOSE MORTALITY ACROSS GEORGIA.

OCONEE CARES

GCSA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN RCO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

GCSA PART TIME VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION. - GCSA PART TIME VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION. ACCORDING TO THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, DEKALB AND FULTON COUNTIES WERE AMONG THE AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST RATES OF ED VISITS AND DEATHS RELATED TO OVERDOSES FROM OPIOIDS AND HEROIN. IN 2019, 252 PEOPLE PRESENTED TO EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS IN DEKALB COUNTY FROM OPIOID RELATED OVERDOSES. IN FULTON COUNTY, THAT NUMBER WAS 434. GCSA IS A LONG-STANDING, STATEWIDE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO INCREASE THE IMPACT OF RECOVERY IN OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, TRAINING, AND PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES. OUR STRENGTH IS HELPING INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ISSUES CONCERNING SUBSTANCE MISUSE. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, GCSA HAS DECIDED TO CREATE THIS VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR POSITION TO SUPPORT EXISTING AND FUTURE INITIATIVES. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE IN AND SEEKING RECOVERY IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS GEORGIA, STARTING WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY IN THE 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. PROJECT GOAL: VOLUNTEER COORDINATION/RECRUITMENT FOR COMMUNITY VIRTUAL ALL RECOVERY MEETINGS. BUILD VOLUNTEER BASE IN SUPPORT OF GCSA COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS. PROJECT OBJECTIVES: RECRUIT VOLUNTEER STAFF TO FIT THESE ROLES USING A VARIETY OF RESOURCES AND TECHNIQUES. GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT EACH VOLUNTEER’S SKILLS, AVAILABILITY, AND GOALS; MATCHES VOLUNTEERS WITH APPROPRIATE OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON THIS DATA. SCHEDULE, COORDINATE, AND ASSIGN VOLUNTEERS TO APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS, SUPERVISORS, AND/OR MENTORS. REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH VOLUNTEERS TO ENSURE PLACEMENT IS A GOOD FIT FOR INDIVIDUAL’S SKILLS AND GOALS. MAINTAIN FILES, RECORDS, APPLICATIONS, AND OTHER DATA CONCERNING VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. DRAFT, MAINTAIN, AND PUBLISH GUIDELINES, BEST PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES FOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. COORDINATE VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF: INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES REACHED BY VIRTUAL ALL RECOVERY MEETINGS. INQUIRIES AND REQUESTS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT TRAININGS OFFERED BY GCSA – ESPECIALLY CERTIFIED ADDICTION RECOVERY EMPOWERMENT SPECIALIST (CARES). INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES RECEIVING ADDICTION RECOVERY COACHING SERVICES AND FOLLOW UPS

THE MISSION OF THE GEORGIA COUNCIL ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS TO INCREASE THE IMPACT OF RECOVERY IN GEORGIA'S COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND TRAINING. THE PROPOSED VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH AMERICORPS VISTA'S "INCREASE THE IMPACT OF NATIONAL SERVICE ON COMMUNITY NEEDS IN COMMUNITIES SERVED BY CNCS-SUPPORTED PROGRAMS" FOCUS AREA. THE VISTA PROJECT WILL WORK WITH NEW AND CURRENT GCSA PARTNERSHIPS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A CURRICULUM FOR PROVIDING SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, REFERRAL TO TREATMENT (SBIRT); COORDINATE A RESPONSIVE PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS; CREATE AN OUTREACH CAMPAIGN THAT DISSEMINATES INFORMATION ABOUT FREE LOCAL RECOVERY EVENTS AND AN ONGOING PUBLIC DATABASE OF ALL-RECOVERY MEETINGS; COORDINATE A DONOR DATABASE; AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT EQUITABLE COMMUNITY BASED RECOVERY SUPPORTS. VISTA VOLUNTEERS WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF EXPANDING SERVICES AND SUPPORTS IN WAYS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN POSSIBLE WITH PREVIOUS FUNDING AND CAPACITY. THIS YEAR OF VISTA SUPPORT WILL CREATE GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION THAT WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE OUTREACH AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.