More than $1 million is being spent on projects to address the opioid crisis in Oneida County. Five area organizations, some with services that go further than the county, were awarded money.

One of those is the Integrated Community Alternatives Network, or “ICAN.” It's budgeting how to spend the $420,000 it was awarded.

From 2018 to 2022, the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention says they reviewed 985 from opioid ingestion for people ages 1-17. Several organizations, including ICAN, are working to address this issue.

“We've seen a growing or impending opioid crisis happening across the entire country,” said Jeremy Butler, chief innovation officer for ICAN.

Mental health issues, especially after COVID restrictions, continue to play a role.

“The conversation has gotten very real, and we're just learning more and more about how students are learning how to cope. And we're trying to help support them in finding healthy ways to manage and balance mental illness,” said Jimsak Daoreuang, training and education manager for ICAN.

One major way they’re doing so is by offering trainings for students in grades 6-12.

“We're going to be providing drug and opioid prevention training to students, along with mental health training, along with a variety of other trainings that help them improve their social emotional skills to help them with delayed gratification building resiliency skills,” Butler said.

The program will also educate school staff and teach them how to administer naxolone in case of an overdose.

The program is being made possible by funding from the Oneida County Department of Mental Health, but the education isn’t limited by county lines. ICAN is currently working with schools to bring the programming in.

“Through the lens of training and education," Butler said. "We're really not bound by anything, so we provide training, education all across New York state. We have wonderful partners in our local BOCES that allow school districts to be able to receive aid on those training services we present. And a lot of state and national conferences, so we've taken this across the country.”

ICAN staff encourage parents to build healthy dialogue and relationships with their kids to help keep them on the right track.

The money from the grant also helps ICAN host its annual Overcoming Obstacles event for ninth-graders, which brings in world class speakers.

You can learn more about ICAN by visiting its website.