Sunday, June 8, 2025
6/8/2025
The PORCH Project - Providing Overdose Reversal to Give Columbus Hope - The Columbus Consolidated Government is seeking funding to equip first responders in our metropolitan statistical area with life-saving Naloxone. The Columbus Consolidated Government seeks to equip at least 850 first responders with this program and save at least 96 lives. The population of focus will be first responders and families of opioid addicts. The project will first train and ensure first responders have Naloxone on hand. At the same time, the program will conduct community outreach to families and friends of opioid addicts to provide education, referrals, and life-saving kits. Through the partnership with New Horizons Behavioral Health, the project seeks to create a mobile application to report NARCAN uses and create a warm hand-off of overdose victims to Peer Support Specialists. Those PSS will serve as a referral to treatment resources and medication assisted treatment. The project will work to train all first responders in the area and create a linkage to services with MAT providers. In addition to the training, statistical analysis will report the continued need for the program and will work towards sustainability through departmental budgeting. If used, first responders will be able to provide referral information on the spot to overdose victims and their families or significant others. This information will include linkages to evidence-based treatment facilities in the area and Medication Assisted treatment providers in the area. As a part of the community outreach program, informational gatherings will be held in the areas of highest need in Muscogee County and surrounding areas. Local media outlets and 12-step meeting houses will be used to advertise local events. At said events referral information to treatment centers, education about addiction and recovery and linkages to family resources will be available. At these community meetings life-saving kits also containing Naloxone will be made available to addicts and family members of addicts. The goals of the project are: Goal 1.1 : Increase the number of First Responders in Muscogee County with access to naloxone from zero to 75 persons in year 1. Goal 1.2: Increase the number of first responders with access to naloxone from zero to (100) individuals in Year 1, (250) individuals in Year 2, and (300) individuals in Year 3 and 4. Goal 1. 3: Increase the number of first responders trained to identify an overdose and administer naloxone from zero to (100) individuals in Year 1, (250) individuals in Year 2, and (300) individuals in Year 3 and 4. Goal 1.4: Increase the number of community advocates and family members of addicts who have access to naloxone to 75 persons per year. Goal 1.5: Reduce opioid overdose deaths in Columbus, Georgia by 20% annually.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).