For the fourth straight year, a group of local agencies are getting grant funding to help reduce substance abuse in Nevada County. The $72,000 grant comes from Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. The community health and outreach coordinator for the hospital, Stephanie Kreiter, says that’ll help implement one notable change in the approach to the growing problem. There will be a much more regular participation from Community Recovery Resources, also known as CORR. A counselor will now be available at the hospital four hours a day, Monday through Friday…

click to listen to Stephanie Kreiter

Kreiter says the counselor will help make a referral for the patient for appropriate treatment. This year’s grant supports ongoing collaborative efforts by the FREED Center for Independent Living, CORR, and Western Sierra Medical Clinic. She says research shows that only 10% of Americans with drug and alcohol problems actually access treatment…

click to listen to Stephanie Kreiter

Kreiter also says that Nevada County has a very high substance rate but isn’t sure why.