NVRH and Umbrella Announce 2022 Grant Sub-Awards Recipients

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT (July 7, 2022) – Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) and Umbrella are excited to announce the recipients of the 2022 NEK Prevention Center of Excellence Grant (NEK-PCE) program’s sub-awards. The awards were granted to local partners whose missions increase supports for LGBTQ+ youth, increase mental health supports for youth and create a community where youth feel valued and connected.

 Competitive sub-award recipients and descriptions are listed below.

Catamount Arts’ Open Stage program received $10,000 to focus on community engagement and nurturing an environment where youth feel valued and connected.

North Country Supervisory Union’s English Language Learner Summer Program received $10,000 to create a community where English learners feel valued and connected. A second grant of $4,990 was awarded to the same Supervisory Union to engage North Country Union High’s North Country Allies to design a fall retreat for students and teachers interested in creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in their respective schools in the district.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters received $10,000 to focus on educating the public on the benefits of mentoring and connecting youth to reliable adults and opportunities within their communities.

St. Johnsbury Academy’s Moving Minds and Muscles Camp received $10,000.

Lyndon Institute’s Establish a Gender & Sexuality Alliance received $2,500 to establish a viable GSA organization at LI with a focus on providing support for LGBTQ+ students and a bridge to the wider school community.

Kingdom County Productions’ The Listen Up Workshops received $8,500. Working with high schools, youth organizations and after-school programs in the Northeast Kingdom, The Listen Up Workshops will create safe spaces for youth to tell their stories through discussion, writing and performance.

Stable Connections received $10,000. This program offers a unique opportunity for experiential learning with a focus on strengthening an individual’s confidence, connectedness, character and leadership skills.

St. Johnsbury School District’s Summer Program received $8,454. Led by an experienced teacher and video producer, and with the town as their studio, St. Johnsbury School students will produce a public service announcement that lobbies local individuals and organizations to increase their engagement with youth.

Northeast Kingdom Human Services’ Wellness Day received $6,340. This project will create an event, following COVID-19 guidelines, hosted by Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS), to invite any Northeast Kingdom youth and their families to participate in a Wellness Day in our community.

“In a short time, this grant has already been a boon,” St. Johnsbury School District Summer Program Director Bryan Duff said. “First, it connected my organization with others holding similar values, and this networking has already resulted in enhanced programming for our school. Second, this grant has enabled us to buy video-production equipment that most youth never get to use. Our students will see that we trust them, once educated, to use the equipment safely and wisely to tell a good story.”

Additionally funded projects include ONE Prevention Coalition, which serves Orleans and northern Essex Counties, 302 Cares Prevention Coalition in Wells River, Journey to Recovery in Orleans and northern Essex Counties, Outright VT and NVRH Community Connections.

ONE Prevention Coalition and 302 Cares were funded to develop strategies that meet goals outlined in the NEK-PCE strategic plan. Based on a fall 2021 needs assessment, those goals include reducing the following: youth alcohol, tobacco and EVP use in the counties of Orleans and northern Essex; youth cannabis use across the region and young adult prescription drug misuse in Caledonia County.

Journey to Recovery will lead a workgroup on developing a needs and disparities statement and implementation plan for opioid overdose prevention. Outright VT will provide a two day in-person event in late August or early September for educators to build relationships, skills, and capacity to support LGBTQ+ youth. A key feature of this event will be information for educators who are interested in starting or revitalizing a Gender and Sexuality Alliance in their schools, as well as connecting with NEK advisors and would-be advisors who will become a part of the broader GSA network.

NVRH Community Connections will establish a Team-Based Care model in the St. Johnsbury Health Service Area (HSA) that will attract additional community partners to engage in their efforts. This project will leverage already existing infrastructure, capacity and relationships to form a unique collaboration between the Community Health Workers (CHW) at NVRH Community Connections and the staff at the Kingdom Recovery Center.

“We are working with the Kingdom Recovery Center staff to create an integrated Team-Based Care workflow that will include a recovery coach, community health workers, a patient’s provider, and other professionals,” NVRH Community Connections Community Health Worker Supervisor Deborah Locke-Rousseau said. “The ultimate goal is to wrap services around each person and give them the support they need to address any barriers to wellness.”

 The Prevention Center of Excellence grant, which totals $342,501, aims to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the risks associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The total amount funded for competitive sub-awards was $80,936. Total funding for community projects altogether was $147,873.

Funding was made possible by the Vermont Department of Health Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs. To learn more, contact the Prevention Center of Excellence Program Managers Cheryl Chandler and Amanda Cochrane or visit nvrh.org/nek-pce.