Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NC Receives $35 Million Federal Grant To Combat Opioid Crisis

This file photo shows an arrangement of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, also known as Percocet. AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File.

North Carolina is getting a big boost to help its fight against the opioid epidemic. The state has been awarded a multimillion-dollar federal grant to provide treatment and recovery services.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a $35 million State Opioid Response (SOR) grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

State officials say these funds are especially vital as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for some individuals to access treatment for substance use disorder, prompting a spike in opioid overdoses.

In North Carolina, there's been a 21 percent increase in emergency department visits relating to opioid overdoses from the prior year, even as overall emergency department visits have declined.

NCDHHS says it will provide treatment, recovery, and prevention services to at least 3,300 additional individuals in the first year. It will also go toward funding continuing care for those who have been receiving services under existing opioid response grants.

Secretary Mandy Cohen says the federal funding will help save lives, but she's calling on lawmakers to meet the need by expanding Medicaid.

Previously, NCDHHS received a total of $58 million in SOR grants, which to date, has provided more than 14,000 individuals with treatment and recovery services.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing. 

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate