A multi-year project to address the opioid and addiction epidemic in the Roanoke region hit a milestone Wednesday.
The Roanoke Valley Collective Response issued its blueprint to fight the problem over the next three years. The blueprint addresses a wide range of impacts, including prevention, treatment, crisis response, child and family support, and recovery. The organization has been working on the document for more than a year.
Steering Committee member Kimberly Horn says the focus now shifts to making the plan financially sustainable and getting more buy-in from the business community. "The recovery working group has such a strong emphasis on the business community and helping to create communications to help them understand how important businesses are in recovery, for jobs, for health insurance, for connections and networks and housing."
Organizers say reducing the stigma of addiction and treatment is vital to the blueprint’s future success.
Click here to read the blueprint
The Roanoke Valley Collective Response formed in 2018 and includes representatives from healthcare, community services, law enforcement, education and government agencies from across the eight localities included in the Roanoke metro area.
