Cumberland County slated to direct $500k in opioid relief funds toward youth and family programs

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Cumberland County is taking its latest big step to tackle the opioid crisis in the community. This time it's focusing its efforts on children and teens impacted by substance abuse and mental illness.

County leadership said it's slated to give almost $500,000 of its opioid settlement money to two agencies focused on helping young people and their families impacted by drug use. One agency, Camp Rockfish and Retreat expects to receive about $100,000 over the next two years. The second agency, the Mid-Carolina Regional Council, expects to receive $350,000.

"We have a high incident of substance abuse in Cumberland County in general and we're finding it now with our kids and we're finding it in the population," said Glenn Adams, the chairman of Cumberland County Commissioners. "We've had some schools where the kids have had to go to the hospital because of some overdoses using the gummy bears and all of these things and these kids just don't know and they don't understand what's happening in the community."

State data shows nearly 150 people died in accidental opioid overdoses in Cumberland County in 2021. The issue is also being seen nationwide, as a study published in JAMA Psychiatry reports that over 320,000 children lost a parent to a drug overdose from 2011 to 2021. Camp Rockfish says they plan to launch summer programming that will enrich children by teaching them new trades and healthy emotional coping skills.

"Camp is just a perfect setting because it offers something fun and a chance to teach people new skills," said Tara Tucker, a community paramedic with Cape Fear Valley Health.

Tucker is working with Camp Rockfish to develop their programming for children impacted by substance abuse.

"We see a huge impact around the substance use disorder, opioid epidemic, all this right? Because some of the calls are related to the parents. But some of the kids are part of the experimentation around substance use, right? And we really wanna help those those kids that have been impacted," Tucker said.

"A measure of success is that those children would be able to say, I have some new options. I have some options that are natural. I have some options that are healthy," said Casey Perry, the Camp Director of Camp Rockfish and Retreat. "

Barbara White of Mid-Carolina says it plans to direct resources to elderly people who may be caring for grandchildren and adult children impacted by substance abuse.

"We can link the family with additional resources such as mental health agencies peer support, counseling, and transportation," she said.

Cumberland County has $30 million of opioid settlement money in total. The county commissioners are expected to vote on this funding plan on May 20.