Rowan County received over $100,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently in order to provide substance abuse and mental health training to EMS personnel as well as purchase lifesaving supplies for people suffering from substance abuse disorders.

The funding, which totals $106,447 in grant funding along with a $10,645 match, comes from the USDHHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Rural Emergency Services Training program, which aims to recruit and train EMS personnel in rural areas with a particular focus on addressing substance use disorders and co-occuring substance use and mental disorders.

The grant was given to the Harm Reduction, Outreach, Prevention, Education, or HOPE, program, a team that represents a partnership between Rowan County Public Health and Rowan County Emergency Services and provides post-recovery responses and support services to those who use opioids and those at high risk of opioid overdose.

“Investing in specialized substance use and mental health training for our first responders will significantly improve outcomes and save lives. I was proud to advocate on behalf of Rowan County to receive this funding and ensure those in need receive timely and quality care,” said U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, who co-founded the Senate Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, in a release from the county.

The main objective of the grant is to train EMS personnel to better support individuals who are experiencing a substance use or mental health crisis. Personnel will be trained to distribute essential resources, connect individuals with peer support services and guide them toward appropriate treatment pathways. 

“Through specialized training, this grant will help our front-line EMS personnel to manage mental health and substance use emergencies, ultimately leading to a reduction in negative outcomes associated with such events,” said County Commissioner Judy Klusman, who serves as the board of commissioners’ liaison to the county board of health, in the release.

Additional objectives of the grant include procuring buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, naloxone and basic ventilation masks to administer them during critical moments, with the aim being to increase access to treatment and improve health outcomes for those struggling with substance use disorders.

“Rowan County ranks fourth highest in North Carolina for the rate of fentanyl-positive overdoses and the rate of overdose deaths here is well over the state average. We absolutely must do better,” said Public Health Director Alyssa Harris in the release.