Arkansas Nonprofit to Use $200,000 Opioid Settlement Funds to Support Teens and Families

Amber Govan is often found within a modest building off 12th Street in Little Rock, engaging with students in after-school programs or advising federal agencies on community violence intervention through her organization, Carter’s Crew.

Carter’s Crew, as Govan’s non-profit is known, focuses on assisting teenagers in Central Arkansas who have experienced the justice system or reside in high-crime neighborhoods, inspired by Govan’s own “at-risk” background.

With a $200,000 allocation from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, Carter’s Crew will expand its services to include opioid prevention education.

“We aim to offer comprehensive support for families, addressing their various needs as comprehensively as possible,” Govan stated. “We involve families in our assessment process to identify areas where they require assistance, with substance abuse being a key concern, closely followed by mental health.”

Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that over 108,000 individuals in the United States died from drug overdoses in 2023. In Arkansas, there were 572 deaths due to drug overdoses in the same year, with the final count subject to change pending data finalization.

The funds from the settlement will empower Carter’s Crew to recruit a peer recovery specialist, substance abuse educator, and a case manager responsible for reducing risk factors associated with substance misuse among teenagers. The organization will administer a program consisting of four 12-week sessions annually, complemented by nine months of follow-up support for each participant.

According to Govan, the curriculum will include 30-minute videos facilitated by young individuals, accompanied by quizzes to assess participants’ knowledge. Completion of the program will result in awarded certificates that Govan is striving to have accepted as part of substance abuse program completion requirements for teenagers by court judges.

The program, reminiscent of the one utilized by medical professionals at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is set to introduce an online opioid prevention curriculum, tailored exclusively for the target demographic in Arkansas.

Alongside program expansion, Govan aspires for the funding to help eliminate stigmas prevailing across various communities, especially in addressing substance dependency issues among Black community members.

“The aim is to encourage individuals to open up about struggles with prescription pill addiction or other dependencies without fear of judgment,” Govan explained. “Our goal is to ensure that families realize they are not alone in needing help and that seeking assistance is not a sign of weakness but a necessary step towards recovery.”

For Carter’s Crew, the allocated funds are a part of the $26 billion in opioid settlement funds allocated nationwide, with Arkansas slated to receive $216 million over 18 years.

Established in 2022 through city and county settlement funds, the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership endeavors to distribute resources for projects combatting the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Director Kirk Lane emphasized the importance of compassion, innovation, location, and prevention efforts when evaluating projects for funding, highlighting Carter’s Crew’s collaboration with juvenile courts as particularly notable.

“We prioritize heart in our decision-making process, looking for projects driven by a genuine desire to make a positive impact rather than solely focused on financial gains,” Lane stated.

The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership website indicates that every county in Arkansas hosts at least one active program funded by the initiative. Carter’s Crew’s selection for funding in Pulaski County brings the total active projects in the county to nine, joining entities such as the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, Crisis Stabilization Unit at UAMS, and Natural State Recovery Center.

Lane explained that Carter’s Crew stood out for its unique approach and efforts aimed at empowering youth in areas severely impacted by substance abuse.

The ongoing goal of the initiative is to ensure coverage across all counties in Arkansas, with priority placed on projects fulfilling specified criteria, even in areas with fewer active programs.

With no set deadline for proposal submissions, the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership encourages evidence-based strategies to tackle the opioid crisis, involving endorsements from county judges and mayors where the initiatives will operate.

Acknowledging the significance of Carter’s Crew, Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. pledged their unwavering support for the organization.

Once an organization receives funding, regular assessments are conducted by the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership over five years to monitor progress and compliance with established objectives, backed by quarterly data collection and an annual review process specific to each program.

Any unutilized funds unrelated to opioid crisis mitigation are promptly returned to the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, with approximately $1 million already returned to date, reflecting the commitment to effective resource allocation and impact-driven outcomes.