BOWLING GREEN – Officials are hoping to gather information on the impact of substance abuse and addiction in the community during a town hall meeting from 3-4:30 p.m., on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the Bowling Green Church of the Nazarene.

The meeting was organized by the Pike County Rural Community Opioid Response Planning Consortium which includes Pike County Memorial Hospital (PCMH), the Pike County Health Department, Pike County Sheriff’s Department, Northeast Correctional Center, and The Aviary Recovery Center.

PCMH obtained a grant through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant started in June and in addition to Pike County, information will be sought in Audrain, Montgomery and Ralls Counties.

Lisa Pitzer, of PCMH, noted the town hall meetings are the first step of a process to identify ways to battle substance abuse and addiction.

“Our goal is to start identifying causes and problems and do a formal gap analysis to figure out what we have and what we don’t have and what we need to address the problem,” she explained.

Officials are expecting a good turnout at the meeting. Pitzer said she hopes those affected by substance abuse will come and share their experiences to help officials find solutions.

“I think people are really starting to realize that there is an issue in our communities. It’s not just here – it’s everywhere, and that’s why there’s funding available to try to curb this crisis and address it.”

Pitzer added a great deal of funding has come to Missouri to battle the issue of opioids and substance abuse/addiction.

After the consortium collects information and analyzes gaps during the town hall meetings, the next step will be to develop solutions. That is what the first grant covers.

Pitzer explained the next step after identifying problems and developing a plan for solutions will be to apply for an implementation grant. Those grants generally run for three years.

“We want anyone with an interest or concern about substance abuse and addiction to attend the town hall meetings."

In addition to the meeting this Thursday in Pike County, there will be meetings in the other communities identified in the grant.

A town hall meeting is scheduled for Lang Hall in Vandalia on Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. Another meeting will be held at the Montgomery County Health Department on Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. A meeting is also slated for Ralls County, though a date has not been set at this time.

For more information on the meeting, contact Pitzer at 573-754-5531.