The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health has awarded a $300,000 grant to Plainville-based Wheeler to address and prevent prescription and illegal opioid misuse by adolescent girls.
“Research shows that women are especially vulnerable to opioid addiction,” said Judith A. Stonger, Wheeler’s vice president of prevention, wellness and recovery. “This grant will provide professionals and volunteers with additional knowledge and tools to address mental health and substance use issues at a critical stage in a young woman’s life.”
The grant will provide $100,000 per year for three years to support the Connecticut Opioid Misuse Prevention (COMP) Initiative. The COMP Initiative will expand in-person and online training in Adolescent Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment (A-SBIRT) for up to 4,500 prevention professionals, pediatric care primary providers and professionals who work or volunteer with adolescent girls.
The COMP Initiative builds on a successful collaboration between Wheeler and the Connecticut Departments of Children and Families, Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Connecticut Prevention Network to help identify and intervene in mental health and substance abuse disorders.
