MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) - The Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT) has been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Officials with the Monongalia County QRT say the grant will be used to employ a full-time data improvement coordinator to increase data collection efforts and create stronger relationships with other community organizations.
Brittany Irick, Monongalia County QRT coordinator, says the data improvement collector will look at the systems in place and work to improve data collection and analysis.
“Our QRT has a lot of data coming in and it is going to take an in-depth look at what we are collecting and how it can be used as successfully as possible,” Irick said. “This will also include site visits to programs that have been successful and seeing how we can implement those strategies in Monongalia County.”
The grant, titled Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program, or COSSUP, was announced last month as part of a federal funding initiative led by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
Officials say the DOJ funding aims to protect victims of domestic abuse and stalking, address youth opioid addiction and provide new equipment for local police departments and sheriffs’ offices.
“We are overjoyed to be named the recipient of this level of federal grant,” said Dr. Lee B. Smith, health officer of Monongalia County Health Department. “We’re especially pleased to be able to improve services to individuals and families dealing with substance use disorder, as well as to be able to have the ability to better target harder-hit areas.”
This year was the third time the Monongalia County QRT applied for the grant and the first time that they received it.
“Being awarded the grant was definitely a team effort,” Irick said. “We applied two other times and even though we were unsuccessful, we received really helpful feedback that allowed us to get the grant proposal to a good place.”