ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Department of Education will receive more than $1 million for opioid prevention education, with significant impact expected in hard-hit regions like Roanoke, where local organizations are already working to combat the crisis.
The funding comes as cities like Roanoke and Galax continue to rank among the nation’s highest for overdose rates, making the educational initiatives particularly crucial for Southwest Virginia.
“It’s more and more about education and bringing in partners to help educate and understand this disease of addiction,” says Nancy Hans, executive director of Partnership for Community Wellness, which collaborates with Roanoke County Schools on substance abuse prevention.
The organization sees the funding as an opportunity to expand their existing programs. “We can continue to increase those programs. We can sustain those programs,” Hans explains.
The Partnership emphasizes putting human faces behind statistics, including voices like Niles Comer, a consultant and recovering addict who now advocates for drug prevention.
“Without a human connection behind some of the information the students are getting, it becomes very dangerous to a mind that’s still developing,” says Comer, who has maintained sobriety for 13 years.
His mission focuses on early intervention. “I talk to kids now, so I don’t have to talk to them later,” Comer says. “Because if I’m talking to them later, then you’ve got a problem and you’ve seen the consequences.”
The Virginia Department of Education’s grant totals $1,038,950, split between its Opioid Abatement Education Plan ($520,250) and Virginia Recovery Schools Technical Assistance and Grant Program ($518,700). The funding comes from Virginia’s participation in national settlements with prescription opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
The grant will support VDOE’s Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety in working with educators to provide students with behavioral health skills and resources. The department has already trained over 150 educators in 16 school divisions through an evidence-based curriculum aligned with state health standards.
“We know that prevention works, and, in that area, we would like to see the data go in the right direction so that more families can get resources earlier,” Hans notes.
The initiative aligns with Governor Youngkin’s Right Help, Right Now plan, which aims to transform Virginia’s behavioral healthcare system. Recent mandates include requirements for schools to notify parents within 24 hours of school-related overdose events.