Community News

The Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth (CRCHY) was awarded an $8,000 mini-grant to implement a comprehensive opioid misuse prevention media campaign to Bucks County residents. The grant was one of 19 grants, totaling $152,000, offered by the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) through a competitive process to qualified Pennsylvania-based organizations. The goal of program is to broaden the reach of the Pennsylvania Stop Opiate Abuse campaign, which was created with funds from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

“We are honored to partner with the CPA, our state-level substance abuse prevention organization, to increase the number of people that are exposed to the important prevention messages of the PA Stop Opiate Abuse Campaign. Pennsylvania is among the 10 states with the highest opioid use and overdose rates and here in Bucks County, we saw an 89 percent increase in overdose deaths within the past two years. In 2017 alone, we lost two people every three days to this epidemic. We want to spread the message that all of us can help to reverse this trend by not sharing prescription opioid medications, getting rid of them when we don’t need them, and learning how to recognize the signs of addiction and how to get help.”  said Debbie Moskovitz, CRCHY Program Director.

The CRCHY effort is targeting citizens in the Council Rock School District and beyond, using a mix of strategies. Area residents can expect to see video PSA’s featuring federal, state, and local leaders and advertisements in print mailings sent to their homes. The organization is also working with the Newtown and Northampton “Patch”, an online news platform, and BUCKSCOUNTYALIVE.COM to get this important information out to more people and is incorporating PA Stop Opiate Abuse campaign information into their social media strategy. A unique highlight of the project incorporated mobile billboard advertising. A TV truck displaying the PA Stop “Anyone” campaign drove around Lincoln Financial Field on September 6 when the Eagles kicked off their 2018 schedule. The coalition will continue to promote the PA Stop information and materials to community members as part of their ongoing substance abuse prevention efforts.  

The Council Rock Coalition for Health Youth (CRCHY) is a nonprofit organization made up of concerned community members working to help youth reach their full potential by reducing risky behaviors including substance abuse. The organization has been serving the Council Rock School District and neighboring communities for over 12 years. For more information about the Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth and their programs including the Council Rock Parenting Academy or Raising Great Kids Series, visit: www.CRCHY.org. For information and resources, and to learn more about the Commonwealth Prevention Alliance Campaign to Stop Opiate Abuse, visit: www.pastop.org.