OCSAPC Leads Prevention Efforts in the Northern Panhandle

                                     

Youth Services System (YSS) has received state funding to expand its substance abuse prevention efforts to include the 5 northern panhandle counties in West Virginia.  YSS through the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC) will lead efforts to address substance abuse outside the boundaries of county lines with a new partnership called “Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium (NPPC).” The funding was awarded from the Substance Abuse Prevention Service (SAPS) Grant by the WV Department of Health and Human Resource (DHHR) Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities (BHHF). 

 The Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium (NPPC) will allow region one counties funding to address their collective substance abuse issues including underage drinking, youth tobacco use, prescription drug abuse for both youth and adults, and bath salt and synthetic marijuana use with youth.  Funding for the project includes $97, 960 focused on county substance abuse prevention strategies based on the combined problems and needs of the counties.  Each county’s substance abuse coalition or participating entity will receive a sub-grant to carry out the project in their community allowing for individual differences.  The counties that have agreed to work together for the common purpose include Ohio, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall and Wetzel.  The participating organizations are Advocates for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Brooke & Hancock Counties, Marshall County Starting Point Center, Wetzel County Coalition Against Drug Abuse, and Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC).   

Interested community members are asked to contact the substance abuse prevention coalition in your county.  Local citizens are uniquely qualified to promote change in their local communities.  OCSAPC would be happy to direct you to your county coalition.  Please call 304-233-2045.  

Pictured from left to right are Morgan Miller (Brooke/Hancock), John Moses (Youth Services System), Richelle Blair (Marshall), Deana Bobek (Marshall), Lori Garrett-Bumba (Ohio), Elizabeth Glow (Wetzel), Luann Decker  (Brooke/Hancock) , and Jason Rine  (Brooke/Hancock).