Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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Opioid Abatement Authority announces $9 million in funding
The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority will award more than $9 million in funding to 16 state agencies for opioid abatement and remediation efforts.
State Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington County and chairman of the authority, said in a news release that the awards will be used to expand and accelerate the fight against the opioid crisis in Virginia.
“The OAA’s financial support of these state agencies will allow Virginia to continue to lead the nation in fighting the scourge of opioid and substance use, by investing in efforts that include prevention and education, research, treatment, and support for people in recovery,” he said.
The funding is a result of Virginia’s participation in national settlements with manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids. The payments are expected to continue for at least 15 more years.
The authority was established by the General Assembly in 2021 to oversee the distribution of 55% of Virginia’s total settlement funds. According to the news release, this round of funding goes to:
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services:
- $117,165 for the second year of funding of a substance use data analyst.
- Extend the Judicial Substance Use Training program to Sept. 30, 2025.
- Extend the Recovery High School project to Sept. 30, 2025.
- $385,000 to continue a collaboration with the Virginia Recovery Corps, which develops certified peer recovery specialists.
Department of Corrections:
- $276,770 for the second year of funding for six social workers who assist with substance use disorder treatment.
Department of Education:
- $520,250 for the second year of funding for DOE’s statewide, cross-sector effort to address opioid misuse by educating students, parents, and school employees about the dangers of drug use and how to prevent opioid misuse and addiction.
Department of Health:
- $473,137 for the second year of funding for the statewide naloxone distribution program.
- $277,944 for the second year of funding for the Comprehensive Harm
Reduction project. - $128,703 for the second year of funding for three substance use coordinator positions.
- $83,685 for an overdose prevention strategist position for the West Piedmont Health District.
- $130,407 to support the establishment of a standardized approach for local and regional overdose review teams.
Department of Health Professions:
- $361,219 for the second year of funding for a program that connects the prescription monitoring program to prescribers’ electronic health records and pharmacists’ pharmacy dispensing systems.
Department of Medical Assistance Services:
- Continuation of the multiyear Discharge Bridge Program.
- $411,000 for the second year of funding for the kinship navigator program.
- $291,247 to implement an opioid reduction registry within the 211 Virginia Resource Database and the creation of a text platform for individuals dealing with substance use disorder.
Office of the Attorney General:
- $675,000 for the second year of funding for the Fentanyl and Opioid Prevention and Awareness mass media campaign.
Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia:
- $113,000 for the second year of funding for the development of a statewide best practice standard for drug testing within alternative dockets and recovery courts.
Radford University:
- $210,698 for the second year of funding for the Healing, Outreach, Prevention and Empowerment project.
University of Virginia:
- $269,489 for the second year of funding for the UVa Street Medicine Access
Reduction and Treatment clinic. - $215,075 for the pilot COSMOS digital contingency management platform.
Virginia Commonwealth University:
- $207,820 for the second year of development for a technical resource toolkit of opioid abatement best practices and evidence-based programs that cities and counties can implement using opioid settlement funds.
- $74,401 for the second year of a project by the VCU Massey Cancer Center to research and develop protocols for pain management in palliative care settings.
- $575,088 for the Virginia Naloxone Project, which will train, equip and support at least 20 emergency departments across Virginia.
- $84,373 for a Fast Track to Certified Substance Abuse Counselor Program to expand existing coursework and clinical internships.
- $82,322 to support the expansion of the Recovery Scholars Program, which will extend to 10 colleges and universities across Virginia.
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service:
- $725,008 for the second year of a program to provide training for teachers to implement the evidence-based Botvin Life Skills program, Mental Health First Aid, and Adverse Childhood Experiences training in schools.
Virginia Foundation for Health Youth:
- $1.4 million for the second phase of the Prevention and Education Campaign on Fentanyl and Overdose for Youth and Young Adults (also referred to as “Deadly Dose”) project.
- $115,000 to support the Expanding Access to the Dangers of Fentanyl Module program in high-risk public-school systems.
Virginia Indigent Defense Commission:
- $374,546 for the second year of funding for collaboration between the VIDC and Virginia Recovery Corps to embed peer navigators within public defender offices in localities with the highest overdose death rates combined with the largest public defender caseloads.
Virginia State University:
- $241,341 for the VSU Public Health Institute’s Healthful Engagement for Support, Treatment, Recovery and Interventions project.
- $90,100 for the Leveraging Workforce Needs program to address workforce needs for abatement efforts.
- $169,534 for the Mobilization of Access for Underserved and Marginalized Communities project to identify and address disparities in access to abatement efforts for people in traditionally disadvantaged communities.
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Central Virginia CC announces associate VP
Central Virginia Community College has named Mark Tinsley its new associate vice president of arts and sciences.
Tinsley was an associate instructor of geology at the college for two years, following his position as a part-time adjunct instructor, according to a news release from the college.
Tinsley holds Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University, three religion master’s degrees from Liberty University, a Master of Science degree from Emporia State University, a Master of Fine Arts degree from Drew University, a Juris Master from the Liberty University School of Law, and a Doctorate from Liberty University. He also serves as a command chaplain in the Army Reserve.
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Youngkin announces state board appointments
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has announced another round of appointments to state boards, including these residents of Southwest and Southside:
Board of Housing and Community Development: Scott Stosser of Blacksburg, senior vice president of construction, SAS Builders.
Board of Trustees of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center: Jeffrey Davis of South Boston, assistant superintendent, Halifax County Schools.
Board of Nursing: Cleopatra Kitt of Roanoke, senior vice president of leadership development, Retirement Unlimited Inc.
Safety and Health Codes Board: Jay Abbott of Blacksburg, former director of operations, Red Sun Farms LLC; ex-officio member, Virginia Agribusiness Council Board of Directors.
Cave Board: Andrea Futrell of Christiansburg, Karst Manager, TRC.
Virginia Fire Services Board: Carla Keesee of Forest, investigations manager, Virginia Farm Bureau.