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

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.