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Toole County

MSU Extension Toole County and Alliance for Youth Partner Receive SAMHSA Grant for Rural Youth Opioid and Stimulant Misuse

Published: 2020
By Alice Burchak
Through statewide collaborations with MSU Extension, partner schools, and existing opioid response networks, this project will provide outreach, education and technical assistance in an effort to reduce opioid and stimulant misuse among rural and tribal youth throughout Montana. Through our efforts, we aim to provide youth and their caregivers (whether at school or at home) with the tools to converse honestly and openly about this issue, and information about treatment and recovery options to support youth who may need such services. MSU Extension Agent Alice Burchak and the Alliance for Youth Prevention Specialist Mary Miller will facilitate the grant at Shelby High School. The first year of the grant will include organizing a focus group of professionals who work with youth such as teachers and other community leaders. The focus group will meet with the MSU Extension State Grant Team to provide feedback to the group and how to address the issues. The second step in the first year of the grant will be to survey high school students about their knowledge and experience with opioids and stimulants. The Extension State team will utilize the information gathered from the eight participating schools to create curriculum and outreach for the participating schools in the second year of the grant. If you would like further information on the grant, please feel free to contact MSU Extension Agent Alice Burchak by email at aburchak@montana.edu.
Opioid Graffic