With a presence in nearly 10,000 communities across the United States, CVS Health recognizes the importance of fighting the opioid epidemic at the local level, with local solutions.
That’s why, among the many ways CVS Health is working to mitigate the epidemic, we have committed funding to organizations across the country to support prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.
In September 2017, CVS Health announced an enterprise-wide, multi-pronged approach to help find solutions to the national opioid abuse epidemic. Those efforts included the nationwide expansion of our drug disposal collection program, an increase in the availability of naloxone without a prescription and the enhancement of our pain medication utilization management program to ensure prescription opioids are used properly.
Also included was a $2-million commitment by the CVS Health Foundation, to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), to increase access to medication-assisted treatment and other recovery services at community health centers around the country. To-date, we have funded more than 20 community health centers through this program.
Among the recipients of that grant support were:
Total Health Care in Baltimore, a community health center dedicated to supporting opioid addiction recovery was awarded $85,000 to develop and implement a trauma informed care model which will increase participation in its substance abuse treatment program.
The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, received $80,000 to develop a protocol to train their team on the screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) approach to addiction. SBIRT is an evidence-based practice used to identify, reduce and prevent misuse and abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Four California community health centers received a total of $330,000 to increase access to opioid addiction treatment and recovery services.
In addition, CVS Health has awarded grants to several other non-profit organizations nationwide that are tackling this public health challenge.
These grant recipients include:
Three New Hampshire non-profit organizations received $60,000 in grants to address and prevent opioid abuse.
New Jersey-based Morris Country Prevention Is Key was given funding from CVS Health to host two peer recovery specialist training cohorts. The training provided 55 specialists the opportunity to share knowledge in one-on-one, group, emergency room and correctional facility interventions, as well as become law enforcement response assistants throughout the state.
In Ohio, two clinics – Neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland and Rocking Horse Children’s Health Center in Springfield – received a total of $100,000 for programs supporting patients and families struggling with substance abuse.
Two Arizona non-profit organizations, ICAN and El Rio Health, received a total of $115,000 from CVS Health to support their prevention and medication education programs.
And in CVS Health’s home community of Rhode Island, where the company’s corporate headquarters are located, opioid-related grants have been awarded to the United Way, Community Care Alliance, the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team, RI PBS, and Bradley Hospital.
CVS Health is committed to helping put an end to the national opioid abuse epidemic, in part by connecting those who are struggling with addiction with the resources they need to regain good health. In supporting community partners through grants like these, CVS Health is working to expand access to the community-level prevention, treatment and recovery programs that serve as the frontline in this crisis.
