Sallisaw NOW Coalition seeks continued funding

Sallisaw NOW Coalition, with the support of the city of Sallisaw, has applied for a second round of funding from the First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA).

The crucial funding FR-CARA enables Sallisaw NOW Coalition to continue to raise awareness and provide necessary prevention resources, such as naloxone overdose reversal medications, throughout Sequoyah County.

“If we are funded for a second round, it will allow us to continue the training needed in our community and for our first responders,” said Amy Edwards, director of prevention services at the Sallisaw NOW Coalition.

Community-based prevention is only as effective as the partnerships that share in the planning, implementation and evaluation of successful strategies at the grassroots level, in accordance with the Strategic Prevention Framework, the guiding principle in evidence-based drug prevention. Sallisaw NOW Coalition brings a wide array of sector representation to the table, drawing coalition members from educational, government, law enforcement, medical, behavioral health, faith-based and other sectors all working together for the common goal of reducing substance misuse and abuse in Sequoyah County.

Perhaps the most important partnership is the one Sallisaw NOW Coalition maintains with the city, its fiscal agent. Sallisaw NOW Coalition is unique in being associated with a municipality for fiscal agency, when compared to other non-profit prevention coalitions nationwide. The city provides financial oversight, guidance and support to the coalition, lending credence to coalition operations locally and when applying for new avenues of funding as well.

“The coalition benefits from partnering with the city,” said Kristi Allen, lead grant evaluator, C.A.R.E. Consulting. “It opens up so many doors where prevention is concerned.”

Sallisaw’s FR-CARA serves individuals at risk of opioid overdose of all ages in Sequoyah County. The goals of the project are to increase availability of opioid overdose reversal medications to first responders and community members. Secondary goals are to provide targeted training and resources for first responders and members of other key sectors on carrying and administering naloxone. In addition, the project will train and provide resources for first responders and community safety members to protect themselves from exposure to fentanyl, carfentanil and other opioids, and establish processes from referral to appropriate treatment and recovery communities.

For more information, visit www.sallisawnow.org, or contact Edwards at 918-7747566 or aedwards@sallisawok.org.