Park and Recreation Mentorship for Rural Youth Impacted by Opioids in Central Appalachia (Category 5)

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 5 (Statewide and Regional Mentoring Initiative for Youth Impacted by Opioids) supports a broad-based approach to building mentoring program capacity in targeted regions throughout the country to help youth impacted by opioids. This program is authorized and funded pursuant to Pub. L. No. 115-141, 132 Stat. 348, 423.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) seeks to build the capacity of park and recreation (P&R) agencies in rural Central Appalachia to develop and implement evidence-based mentoring programs for rural youth age 17 or younger who are impacted by opioids. By leveraging existing community assets and strengthening the local P&R agencies, NRPA intends to expand the service network of mentorship offerings for youth impacted by opioids in rural communities.

NRPA is the national, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation, and health and wellness efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people in the United States. We represent a vast network of 12,000 agencies, 105,000 parks, 52 state affiliates, and 60,000 P&R professionals, and touch the lives of more than 200 million people in nearly every community across the country. As experienced community-based providers of vital health and wellness services, local P&R agencies are an essential component of the public health system and already function in a critical role as mentors and role models to at-risk youth. P&R agencies provide a multitude of services that promote positive youth development, addressing physical, mental, and emotional health and tackling our most concerning public health threats, including substance use and juvenile delinquency.

CA/NCF