BMCC Receives New Grant
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) recently granted Black Mountain Counseling Center (BMCC) $50,000 as part of the State Opioid Response grant to help people in McDowell County who are struggling with opioid use.
Black Mountain Counseling Center is a non-profit, professional mental health counseling service providing care out of offices in Black Mountain and Old Fort. BMCC is a recognized 501(c)(3) charitable organization that relies on donations to serve our clients, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured.
BMCC is grateful to have received this grant from NCDHHS, which will provide individuals struggling with substance use in McDowell County the opportunity for potentially life-changing services from a licensed therapist. In addition to individual and group counseling, this grant will allow us to offer: career coaching; child and adolescent counseling; resources to help community members arrange transportation, treatment, referrals, and other support; and educational programs related to substance use and mental health to a variety of populations.
BMCC’s grant is part of a larger statewide effort to address opioid use. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a $35 million State Opioid Response (SOR) grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). As NCDHHS explains, “These funds are especially vital as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for some individuals to access treatment for substance use disorder, prompting a spike in opioid overdoses. There has been a 21% increase in emergency department visits relating to opioid overdoses from the prior year, even as overall emergency department visits have declined.”
BMCC is committed to helping the Western North Carolina community access affordable mental health care, including substance use treatment. This grant will allow us to directly help people in McDowell County experiencing opioid use challenges, an increasingly urgent issue in the area.
We look forward to conducting this crucial work along with many community partners in Old Fort and more broadly in McDowell County.
For press inquiries about our specific work with this grant, please contact BMCC’s clinical director: shana@blackmountaincounseling.org.