Sebastian County task force receives grant for opioid, substance abuse prevention

The Sebastian County Opioid Task Force will receive a $625,000 federal grant from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.

The task force will have a grant announcement event 11:30 a.m., Oct. 15, at the Blue Lion in downtown Fort Smith. The group will receive $125,000 annually for five years through the federal program.

This grant program, managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), helps communities with ongoing efforts in preventing youth substance use in our community. ONDCP’s DFC program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.

The DFC program provides federal grants to community coalitions to identify and respond to issues unique to their community and change community conditions tied to youth substance use. With this grant, the Sebastian County Opioid Task Force will be able to continue building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community.

“Through the DFC program, CDC is empowering community coalitions to implement local solutions to unique, local conditions, with the common goal of preventing youth substance use.” said Dr. Allison Arwady, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC.

According to a press release from the Sebastian County Opioid Task Force, following are partners in the county effort.
Restore Hope/100 Families – Sebastian County
Arvest Bank
Fort Smith Media Group
Fort Smith Public Schools
Fort Smith Boys and Girls Clubs
Mercy Health System
Fort Smith Police Department
Fort Smith Roundtable
Rep. Jay Richardson, D-Fort Smith
Sebastian County Health Officer Dr. Bryan Clardy

“The Sebastian County Opioid Task Force is grateful for the support of and partnership with ONDCP and CDC,” said Sebastian County Sheriff and Task Force Chair Hobe Runion. “We are proud to share this mission and effort to prevent youth substance use and protect the well-being of our community. This grant will allow us to better collaborate with parents, students and families in the 72901 zip code as we focus our collective expertise and resources on this critical issue.”