SSU Program Awarded ARC Grant to Help Those Affected by Substance Use Disorder

Shawnee State University has received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support new initiatives related to substance use disorder (SUD) recovery in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

An ARC grant of $490,570 has been awarded to assist the development of SSU’s proposed Center for Rural Community Health and its project, “Addressing the Unique Health Needs of Our Region through Research, Education, and Collaboration.” The center will be part of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at SSU. The grant was awarded through ARC’s Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) initiative. 

Through research, data analysis, and collaboration with over 80 community partners throughout the seven-county service area, the project will develop resources to address the impact of SUD on children and youth; create a Support Navigator position that will function as a one-stop shop for assisting local K-12 and SSU students with locating recovery resources for themselves or family members in addiction; and establish a pilot pathway-to-degree program in which SSU students in recovery will receive tuition assistance and tutoring in order to successfully complete an associate's degree program.  

“The College of Health and Human Services is very excited to have the support of ARC's INSPIRE grant award to move our vision of developing a Center for Rural Community Health forward,” said Dr. Christine Raber, Interim Dean, CHHS and Professor, Occupational Therapy.

“We understand the critical importance of networks for people in recovery, and this funding facilitates the creation of recovery resources for SSU and K-12 students and their families across the region, as well as the development a tailored approach to assisting people in recovery to obtain their degree,” Raber said. “Ultimately our goal with these initiatives is to positively contribute to solutions that help address the impacts of addiction in the community.”

“We are working hard to build a healthier community together with regional healthcare providers,” SSU President Eric Andrew Braun said. “The Center for Rural Community Health is at the center of this collaborative initiative.”

It is anticipated that by the end of the three-year grant period, K-12 and SSU students, as well as businesses and organizations from the region will be positively impacted by gaining access to recovery resources and support to achieve their educational and career goals.