Hospital brings together leaders to tackle substance abuse in Branson area
BRANSON MO NEWS: BRANSON, Mo. Branson is trying to find a prescription to cure its drug abuse problem.
More than 70 area leaders gathered at Cox Medical Center Branson Thursday to begin a community-wide discussion focused on how to best address substance abuse in the community.
It’s part of the Substance Abuse Initiative project. The effort is backed by a partnership between Skaggs Foundation, CoxHealth and prevention consultant Dr. William Geary.
“Our end goal is to have a collaborative of community members and professionals who feel comfortable and informed and equipped to be proactive about substance abuse prevention rather than reacting to it,” Geary said. “Our goal is to equip community leaders with the data and skills they need to oversee a coordinated substance abuse effort.”
“Through this initiative, we will assess the complexity of local substance abuse, determine gaps in current services, identify community resources and make a concentrated effort to best address this complex and troubling issue,” explained project coordinator Marietta Hagan.
Geary has worked for almost two decades helping communities choose, implement and evaluate best practices in substance abuse prevention. He said Stone and Taney counties are in a great position to begin this initiative.
“The overall health of …
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