News

AFMC RCORP Grant Leaves Lasting Impact on Four Rural Arkansas Counties

In 2020, the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) awarded AFMC the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Implementation II grant. Jerry Rushing, grant analyst, led efforts on the grant, with assistance from Alicia Neppl, supervisor of community projects, and Keiley Jenson, grant analyst.

Jerry and his team successfully executed a range of substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives within rural communities in Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Randolph, and Sharp County. They also assisted in forming the Arkansas Rural Task Force for Opioid Response (ARTOR) to expand access and strengthen the quality of SUD treatment within the catchment area.

In just four years, AFMC collaborated with consortium members in the community to achieve the following results:

  • 184 units of Narcan distributed in the catchment area
  • 78 ONEbox/Naloxbox packs distributed to schools and businesses in the catchment area and AFMC offices
  • 1,774 individuals received Medication-Assisted Treatment services
  • 307 individuals received Peer Support Services
  • Individuals referred to Northeast Arkansas Divine Intervention's Recovery Center Organization are showing great success, including completion of detox and treatment programs, sustained employment, and independent living

Prevention, treatment, and recovery services are critical in rural areas with limited resources, significant stigma, and transportation difficulties. The RCORP-I II grant has left a positive imprint on rural Arkansas communities, made possible through close partnerships with trusted community organizations that have developed deep-rooted relationships with those who struggle with SUD.

Replicating similar initiatives in other parts of the state will likely make a wider impact and help progress toward ending the opioid epidemic that has taken the lives of over 560,000 Americans since it began, according to the FCC.

Read the full RCORP-I II final report and dive into the details of this impactful program.

This article is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,000,000.00 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

Download Free Tools and Resources

AFMC
AFMC Image
USEFUL LINKS
AFMC NEWSLETTER

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter and get all the latest news and updates, including the most recent episode of AFMC TV, right to your inbox!