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Mercy College receives grant to help families affected by opioids

By Mahoning Matters staff
Mercy Health spokesman Jonathon Fauvie said that Mahoning Matters' coverage of the closure of CVS on Park Avenue and its implications sparked internal discussion to increase access to the pharmacy in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. (Mahoning Matters)
Mercy Health spokesman Jonathon Fauvie said that Mahoning Matters' coverage of the closure of CVS on Park Avenue and its implications sparked internal discussion to increase access to the pharmacy in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. (Mahoning Matters)

YOUNGSTOWN — Mercy College of Ohio received a four-year, $740,998 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase the number of peer support specialists and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals who will be prepared to work with families impacted by opioid use and other substance abuse disorders.

These peer support specialists and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals provide community-based services for people with mental illness or substance use disorder that promote recovery, self-determination, self-advocacy, well-being and independence.

According to a news release, the grant will provide tuition assistance and stipends to students in Mercy College's two-semester Community Health Worker program totaling up to $4,000. The CHW program will be enhanced and expanded to prepare students to meet the needs of recovering opioid addicts.

After completing the CHW certificate, graduates will have the opportunity to be placed in one-year paid apprenticeships that will give them hands-on experience, further preparing them for careers. The paid apprenticeships also will include an additional stipend of $7,500. Graduates may be offered permanent employment after their time as an apprentice.

"There is an increasing need for professionals to fill this critical role in every aspect of health care and social services," Tim Depinet, director of Allied Health Certificates, said in the release. "Families affected by opioid use disorder need support from a network of professionals that can work together to address medical and nonmedical needs. Mercy College's Community Health Worker program will use these grant dollars to increase the number of well-prepared CHWs in our community."

The CHW program is available to Ohio residents, with the lecture content provided online. Those interested in the program are encouraged to visit www.mercycollege.edu or contact the admissions office at admissions@mercycollege.edu.

Mercy College of Ohio is part of Mercy Health. It is a Catholic institution with a campus in Toledo and a location in St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 5:11 AM with the headline "Mercy College receives grant to help families affected by opioids."