This brief is part of a series highlighting partnership projects that are part of the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic project; it discusses the Marcum and Wallace Hospital and Northern Kentucky University.
This Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) document on engaging with faith-based organizations describes the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic (RROE) project. The RROE project aims to serve residents with substance use disorder (SUD); it supports 21 rural sites across the United States in order to develop or enhance efforts to do the following tasks: strengthen epidemiologic surveillance and public health data infrastructure; implement effective community-level opioid overdose prevention activities; and establish or enhance public safety, public health, and behavioral health collaborations. This brief focuses on the Marcum and Wallace Hospital (Marcum and Wallace) in Kentucky; it notes that more than 84 percent of scientific studies show that faith is a positive factor in addiction prevention and recovery, and more than 20,000 lives are saved annually because of faith-based programs that are in or affiliated with churches. The document notes that Marcum and Wallace’s work with its partners includes establishing quick response teams (QRTs) which make contact with individuals and families who have experienced overdose, to offer support and connections to services and treatment. The document specifically highlights the Estill County QRT for its work with a local chaplain who helps provide spiritual support for individuals affected by substance use disorder (SUD). It also discusses the work of Northern Kentucky University (NKU), which has a service area in two of the eight counties that make up the Northern Kentucky region, and has partnered with numerous churches to provide them with prevention-first training, Narcan training, Narcan supply, and information about how to access care and treatment in their communities. Lessons learned include the value of built-in resources of churches and the benefits of community that come with a church affiliation.