Branson, MO – June 10, 2019 – The Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative announced today that it received a $100,000 grant from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich the global community. The grant will enable the Substance Use Initiative to offer an online prescription drug safety course to high schools in communities across southwest Missouri. The funding is provided as part of AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s Opioid Resource Grant Program.
“This collaboration between the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, EVERFI, the Skaggs Foundation, the CoxHealth Foundation, CoxHealth, and the Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative is just one more way that our community is coming together to reduce and prevent substance misuse,” says Population Health Project Coordinator Marietta Hagan. “According to the CDC, prescription opioids were involved in more than 35 percent of the 47,600 opioid overdose deaths in 2017.”
The educational initiative will equip high school students with the skills to make safe and healthy decisions about prescription medications and understand the dangers of misusing these drugs. EVERFI’s online Prescription Drug Safety course will be provided at no cost to high schools across southwest Missouri. The Prescription Drug Safety course covers topics such as the principles of addiction, proper prescription drug use and disposal, and the medical uses and potential dangers of using different types of drugs, including opioids, stimulants, and depressants without a prescription.
An important component of the course is teaching students how to deal with situations involving misuse. Through a series of interactive scenarios, students explore the thoughts of their peers and debunk common myths when a classmate offers drugs to help with studying. They also step into the shoes of a student who is asked for their leftover medications — and see the real results of their choices.
“The opioid epidemic is a complex, multi-faceted issue, and collaboration from all parties across the supply chain, on both a local and national level, is essential to drive sustained change,’” said Gina Clark, president of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation. “In alliance with the Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative, we hope to positively impact the lives of those in southwest Missouri through remaining steadfast in our commitment to providing the communities where we live and work with the critical resources needed to help combat the epidemic of opioid misuse.”
As part of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s comprehensive approach to this national issue, it has also distributed nearly 1 million drug deactivation resources through its Safe Disposal Support Program to 44 states and 140 organizations across the U.S, including 9,000 drug deactivation packets to the Substance Use Initiative.
The AmerisourceBergen Foundation identified and developed comprehensive opioid misuse initiatives, including the Opioid Resource Grant Program and the Safe Disposal Support Program, to redefine best practices and advance innovative ideas from nonprofits with the goal of improving the wellbeing of communities around the world. Since its establishment, the Opioid Resource Grant program has garnered significant interest from hundreds of nonprofit and grant-funded organizations seeking support to broaden current efforts toward curbing opioid abuse.
About the Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative
The Stone and Taney Counties Substance Use Initiative is a grant-funded project aimed at reducing and preventing substance use and misuse. It is a joint effort between CoxHealth and Skaggs Foundation and is funded through a Skaggs Legacy Endowment grant. To learn more about the Initiative, visit DrugFreeOzarks.org.
About the AmerisourceBergen Foundation
The AmerisourceBergen Foundation is an independent not-for-profit charitable giving organization established by AmerisourceBergen Corporation to support health-related causes that enrich that global community. The Foundation aims to improve the health and well-being of its patient populations – both human and animal – by investing in its communities. Through strategic partnerships and community collaboration, the Foundation works to expand access to quality healthcare and provide resources to ensure prescription drug safety. For more information, visit www.amerisourcebergenfoundation.org.
About EVERFI
EVERFI is the leading education technology innovator that provides learners of all ages education for the real world through scalable digital learning platforms. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model and has certified over 25 million learners with more than 3,500 partners across 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. EVERFI is an industry convener that builds Networks that tackle the toughest social issues. These Networks include the Prescription Drug Safety Network, Campus Prevention Network, and the Financial Capability Network. Some of America’s leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Advance Publications, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter @EVERFI.
