Pitt County: Expansion of the Sheriff's Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (SHARP) and Women's Empowerment and Recovery (WEAR)

The Pitt County Sheriff's Office, under category 1b, proposes to expand the evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs that operate within the Pitt County Detention Center. The Sheriff's Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (SHARP) and the Women's Empowerment and Recovery (WEAR) program are designed to combat substance use disorder and overdose deaths in Pitt County. These programs include GED/HSE services, cognitive behavioral therapy, moral recognition therapy, peer support services, access to a social worker, licensed substance abuse counselors, peer support services, and Medicated Assisted Treatment. The proposed expansion would fund three more years of programmatic staff, offer ride-sharing services to newly released low-income detainee’s for SUD’s related treatment and recovery needs, provide an art wellness program in partnership with the Greenville Museum of Art (GMoA), contract with a local university for programmatic development and evaluation, and connect law enforcement with more local K-12 students. This project falls under special priority consideration 1A because low income populations have been historically underserved and marginalized which has resulted in numerous barriers to services (see pg. 4-5 in project narrative). The plan is use 7% of the budget to provide 2,100 total rides, 700 per project year, to treatment and recovery support services by partnering with the specialized non-profit organization, Danny’s Ride. 35% of the budget will go towards the salaries and benefits of the SHARP/WEAR Programs Coordinator and the Social Worker. The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office will partner with East Carolina University (ECU) for programmatic evaluation/analysis, data collection, SHARP/WEAR curriculum development, and family life education classes for detainees; this makes up 20% of the budget. The Principal Investigator for the project will be Dr. Mallette, CFLE, and her team of human service graduate students. This COSSAP project will also dedicate 4% of the funds to expand the reach of evidence-based D.A.R.E. programming in Pitt County. D.A.R.E is an education and prevention program that connects law enforcement agencies to K-12 students. The curriculum has been reinvented to include components such as opioid and OTC/Rx drug abuse, vaping prevention, depression awareness, coping mechanisms, bullying, and communication skills.

GAM: GMoA serves the participants in our SHARP/WEAR programs. The expansion of the art wellness programs will continue to provide art activities as an avenue for creative expression, exploration, meditation, and empowerment, to the participants for another year. The art programs encourage participants to meaningfully engage with their inner creative selves as they are in the process of rehabilitating and reentering the community. We are requesting a total modification of $10,000 for this program which includes funding an Outreach Instructor, who will be on site providing services 4 hours a week for a year as well as an Educational Coordinator. It will also include art supplies for the year.