About Us
Who We are
The Rural Response Network (RRN) is a consortium of individuals and organizations who serve and/or live, work and play in the communities of Oberlin and Wellington and surrounding rural townships.
The Mission is to reduce overdoses and overdose deaths and strengthen and expand the capacity of Oberlin, Wellington and surrounding rural townships to engage high-risk populations and provide substance use/opioid use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery support services.
Reduce Overdoses
Promote Rx Medication Safety
Increase Community Education about Substance Use Disorders
Decrease Stigma
Expand Access to Care
Strengthen Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Support Services
Rural Response Network is composed of nine core members and many additional partners who assist with planning, implementation and community education. The LCADA Way is the lead agency with partners including the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, Lorain County Public Health, The Road to Hope, LINC (Local Initiative to Network Compassion), Oberlin Community Services, Let’s Get Real, Oberlin Police Department and Wellington police Department.
Other members include Wellington and Oberlin public school districts, THRIVE! Southern Lorain County, Main Street Wellington, Oberlin Business Partnership, Salvation Army Service Units in Wellington and Oberlin, Lorain County Community College Wellington Center, Mercy Health, and Oberlin College.
Goals
- Reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance abuse disorder and opioid use disorder for vulnerable populations that historically suffer from poorer health outcomes: Low-income, unemployed men and women, Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latino men, women, youth and young adults, and individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
- Decrease barriers and improve care and coordination for individuals who seek and are in need of SUD/OUD prevention, treatment and recovery services.
- Increase the number of direct access points for SUD/OUD treatment and recovery support services, including for underinsured and uninsured individuals, in Oberlin, Wellington and surrounding rural township
- Increase community awareness and education of substance use and mental health disorders and reduce stigma
- Increase the security and safe disposal of prescription medications through education and the distribution of medication safety bags and Medication Disposal System Pouches
- Minimize the harmful effects of illicit drug use and decrease the chance of overdose through education on fentanyl and the distribution of test strips and Naloxone (Narcan)
The Rural Response Network initiative is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which awarded The LCADA Way a three-year, $1 million Rural Communities Opioid Response-Implementation grant beginning September 1, 2022
Documents and Project Resources
Rural Response Network Overview
RRN Progress Report Y1P1
RRM Progress Report Y1P2
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