Sallisaw NOW Awarded $2 million Grant For Addiction and Recovery Training

The Sallisaw NOW Coalition has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. 

The purpose of the FR-CARA (First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act) grant is to deliver addiction and recovery training and supplies to first responders and other key community sectors in Sequoyah County. The award is for $500,000 per year beginning October 1, 2019 thru 2023. 

The Sallisaw Now Coalition is one of only 20 agencies nationally that received this grant, two of those being in the state of Oklahoma.

“We are blown away by this news. We were really rooting for this to be awarded but were concerned that our city would be overlooked for larger cities competing for the same award. We are grateful to announce we were awarded $500,000 per year for four years, totaling $2 million. We will be able to provide vital training and resources for the opioid overdose epidemic for our area through this project,” said Amy Edwards of the Sallisaw NOW Coalition. 

Sallisaw’s FR-CARA project will serve individuals of all ages in Sequoyah County who are at risk of opioid overdose. The goals of the project are to increase availability of opioid overdose reversal medications to first responders and community members. Secondary goals are to train and provide resources for first responders, and members of other key sectors, on carrying and administering naloxone; to train and provide resources for first responders and community members on safety around fentanyl, carfentanil and other drugs to protect themselves from exposure; and to establish processes and strategic collaborations for referral to appropriate treatment and recovery communities for opioid overdose victims and their families. 

Sallisaw Mayor Ernie Martens commented, “I want to congratulate the Sallisaw Now Coalition, and all those who worked hard on this grant project, on their success in obtaining these funds. The Coalition provides vital services to our community, schools and the surrounding area, services that otherwise would not be available. Their prevention efforts have, and will continue to, provide positive changes in the youth of our great community.” 

With this award, the City of Sallisaw and the Sallisaw NOW Coalition have recently acquired a total of $3.5 million of additional grant funding for the community of Sallisaw and Sequoyah County. 

KXMX News Staff

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