About the WCRC

Since its inception, the Wayne County Recovery Coalition (WCRC) has worked to reduce the impact of opioid use disorder and substance use disorder (OUD/SUD) in Wayne County. In 2019, a planning grant was awarded to the Wayne County Health Department to open discussion within our community and develop the Coalition. A task force comprised of law enforcement, health professionals, and community members convened to investigate the rising number of emergency room (ER) visits related to drug use and overdose deaths due to opioid overdoses. At that time, several studies indicated that the rate of opioid overdoses in persons over the age of 20 in Wayne County, Georgia was among the highest in the state. Specifically, from 2012 to 2019, Wayne County ranked third highest in the state for ER visits related to drug use for those 20 years of age and older. The WCRC was established to develop an integrated healthcare network for community collaboration to tackle the OUD/SUD crisis.

In 2020, the WCRC was awarded a three-year, one million dollar Implementation II grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to address the opioid epidemic in Wayne County. The reports linked on the Grant Info page substantiate the need. During the three-year RCORP grant, 929 clients received services from the WCRC; 26% of those individuals were referred for treatment and 87% received recovery services.

In 2023, the WCRC was awarded the Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFCSP) to address youth substance prevention and misuse. This funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will allow the WCRC to now place greater emphasis on youth substance use prevention, focusing on alcohol, nicotine, and prescription drugs. As a DFCSP, the Coalition will work to prevent and reduce substance use among youth by addressing the two DFCSP goals:

1. Reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase risk for substance use and promoting factors that minimize risk for substance use.
2. Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, public and private non-profit agencies, and Federal, state, local and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth.

The WCRC envisions Wayne County as a safe and healthy place for individuals and families because of its comprehensive, community-driven strategies that reduce and prevent substance use disorder, provide needed treatment resources, and promote long-term recovery. To join the WCRC, contact our Program Coordinator, Renee Bolin, at reneebolin@waynecountyrecovery.com.