Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)

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The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is a multi-year opioid-focused initiative by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). 

(Check out the Events tab for upcoming trainings as part of our RCORP grant.)

We are currently working with partners in Essex and Fulton counties to:

  1. Ensure that rural communities have sufficient access to naloxone.

  2. Increase collaboration with local health departments, emergency response personnel, local police, and other community members.

  3. Improve family members’, caregivers’, and the public’s understanding of evidence-based treatments and prevention strategies for SUD/OUD .

  4. Provide training for physicians, behavioral health providers, advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, and other health and social service professionals who are able to identify and treat SUD/OUD.

  5. Organize DATA 2000 Drug Enforcement Agency waiver trainings. 

  6. Increase the number of support staff with the training and education to provide activities and services to complement MAT.

  7. Train providers, administrative staff, and other relevant stakeholders to maximize reimbursement for treatment and billing.

  8.  Facilitate training addressing reimbursement maximization for providers, administrative staff and other professionals.

  9. Strengthen collaboration with law enforcement and first responders to enhance their capability of responding and/or providing emergency treatment to those with SUD/OUD.


RCORP Updates

Through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), Hudson Mohawk AHEC provided 60 Narcan Emergency Boxes to businesses and organizations in Fulton, Montgomery and Hamilton counties in Fall/Winter 2022. 

A Narcan Emergency Box is an opioid overdose kit attached to the wall of a public building. Each box contains three Narcan kits for a total of six doses of Narcan nasal spray that can be used for emergency treatment of a known or suspected overdose. The Narcan kits included in each box were provided by our partner, HFM Prevention Council.

Narcan emergency boxes are part of a collaboration with Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) to provide communities with increased access to Narcan.

Narcan Emergency Boxes have been placed in businesses and public buildings in Essex, Fulton, Hamilton and Montgomery counties in collaboration with our RCORP partners and Adirondack Health Institute (AHI).

Gloversville Neighborhood Engagement unit - Fulton County

The goal of the Neighborhood Engagement Unit (NEU) is to strengthen individual neighborhoods through building healthy relationships between the police and community service organizations with the citizens of Gloversville, Fulton County. 

During the warmer months, the NEU brings service providers and Gloversville police officers into residential neighborhoods through local community events. These events offer services such as Narcan training and free kits as well as bring awareness to community resources to assist community members. Each organization brings something different to the table, and by joining forces and combining ideas and energy, they utilize each other’s strengths and work together to help improve the lives of the people of Gloversville. All of which helps to create a safer city and strengthens neighborhoods.

In 2022, we collaborated with members of The Glove City Coalition and Look TV to create a video that shares the great work of the NEU and highlight individuals who are in recovery and now helping others in their communities.

Click here to view the video: Gloversville Neighborhood Engagement Unit 2022

Thank you to all our community partners who participated in the video and shared your stories.

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For more information about our RCORP programs, contact Brenda Hansson at bhansson@hmahec.org.
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This project is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Grant number U77HP16459, as well as in part by the NYS Department of Health under project title New York State Area Health Education Center System.  The information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the NYS or U.S. Governments.