Cook County organizations receive funding to treat substance abuse and recovery
The Health Resources & Services Administration announced last week that they have awarded $1 million to the University of Minnesota, in partnership with The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic in Grand Marais, and Cook County Public Health and Human Services to strengthen and expand substance use disorder services including opioid use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services in Grand Portage and Cook County.
Below are local organizations included in the initiative:
- The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Sawtooth Mountain Clinic
- Cook County Public Health and Human Services
- Cook County School District ISD 166
- Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis County Community Health Board
- Cook County Sherriff’s Office
- Cook County Higher Education
- Oshki Ogimaag Charter School
- Great Expectations School
- Birch Grove Community School
- Violence Prevention Center
“HRSA funds rural communities that can demonstrate high need for increased substance use prevention, intervention, recovery, and harm reduction services along with a strong consortium of dedicated individuals and agencies to support this work,” said Laura Palombi, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Students with the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Principal Investigator for the grant project. “I’m thrilled to be working with such a strong consortium and am looking forward to finding ways to increase capacity and services for the Grand Portage and Cook County community.”
The three-year grant will support prevention services with youth and schools, improving access to evidence-based treatment services for opioid use disorder and providing support to people in recovery from substance use disorders.
WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Kate Surbaugh, the CEO at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic about the grant. Other topics discussed in the Oct. 4 interview include: vaccine availability at SMC for flu and COVID-19, funding at SMC, recognition given to the clinic for supporting a community response to the pandemic. Listen to the full interview in the audio below.
Joe Friedrichs October 7, 2022
