Substance Use Disorder

North Carolina

Philip Cooper: Inspiring Change

For Philip Cooper, helping his community recover from substance use disorder is a personal, lifelong commitment.
Investment in Action
Appalachian Teaching Project Students
West Virginia

Clay

West Virginia University Research Corporation: Inspiring Hope in the Mountain State

West Virginia, though improving in many measures, has the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people of any other state. Fortunately, the Mountain State also has an incredible host of ARC partners, local leaders, and community members committed to overcoming this challenge. This list includes West Virginia University Research Corporation and the Institute for Community and Rural Health (WVU…
Investment in Action
Kentucky

Knott

Kentucky River Community Care: Building Bridges to Long-Term Recovery

At 39% participation, Eastern Kentucky has the lowest workforce participation rate among ages 18-24 in the nation. This area also finds itself at the epicenter of our nation’s substance abuse crisis, creating a unique challenge for both the health and economic capacity of communities. That’s why a number of organizations, like Kentucky River Community Care, Inc. (KRCC), work every day…
Investment in Action
North Carolina

Wilkes

Wilkes Recovery Revolution: Supporting Fresh Starts in North Carolina

Since 2016, Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc. (WRR) has worked to make recovery a reality in North Carolina. WRR was founded by Devin Lyall,  whose own experience in long-term recovery helps inform the nonprofit’s services, peer-driven structure and leadership – including a board of directors made up of over 50% individuals in recovery. WRR’s partnership with ARC began in 2019, when Lyall began…
Investment in Action
Community Recovery Program’s Program Manager Lisa Smith with the Champions award for community collaboration.
Virginia

City of Martinsville

Piedmont Community Services Board: Expanding Community Connection in Virginia

Community Recovery Program’s Program Manager Lisa Smith with the Champions award for community collaboration. Across the Commonwealth of Virginia, Community Service Boards (CSBs) serve as joint partnerships between state and local governments to meet critical behavioral health needs in every county. Piedmont Regional Community Services Board has long served as one of…
Investment in Action
Ohio

Lawrence

Ironton-Lawrence Community Action Organization: Expanding Recovery Ecosystems in OH, KY and WV

The Ironton-Lawrence Community Action Organization (ILCAO) is dedicated to improving the well-being of residents of Lawrence County, Ohio by providing assistance for housing, homelessness, and nutrition, early childhood services, and job training opportunities. Together these services are having a critical impact in a county where economic distress is steadily increasing. Now, with a $500,000 grant from ARC’s INvestments Supporting Partnerships…
Investment in Action
Tennessee

Hamblen

Helping Women Enter the Recovery-to-Work Ecosystem in Appalachian Tennessee

Across Appalachia, developing a ready workforce must include helping workers re-enter and retain employment. Since 2017, the staff at the Helen Ross McNabb Center in Morristown, Tennessee, has been doing just that. The McNabb Center’s Jail to Work program gives women serving in county jails on drug offenses the…
Investment in Action
West Virginia

Braxton

On the Road to Recovery with Reintegrate Appalachia

Individuals overcoming substance use disorder (SUD) often face a series of overwhelming obstacles when reentering their communities. Workplace stigmas around addiction, a lack of transportation to services and unsupportive living situations can all stand in the way of successful long-term recovery. To help individuals navigate these types of barriers,…
Investment in Action
Man and woman inspect plastic ring in manufacturing setting


Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Appalachia

The nation’s substance use disorder crisis disproportionately impacts Appalachia, where in 2021 overdose-related mortality rates for people ages 25–54 was 72 percent higher in the region than the rest of the country. Appalachians struggling with substance use disorder encounter additional barriers including transportation, housing, access to care, education, and…
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair, 2017

This study analyzed the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on increasing morbidity and mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease.
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