Macoupin County Public Health Department Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Expand Substance Use Disorder Services
Carlinville, IL - The Macoupin County Public Health Department (MCPHD) has been awarded a $3 million federal grant through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact initiative, providing new resources to expand substance use disorder treatment and recovery services across Macoupin and Montgomery counties.
The grant, awarded Sept. 24, 2026, by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), will provide funding over a four-year period. MCPHD anticipates receiving approximately $750,000 annually from September 2026 through August 2030, contingent upon the availability of federal funds and satisfactory project progress.
The RCORP-Impact program supports rural communities in addressing substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), by improving access to treatment and recovery services for individuals and families affected by addiction. MCPHD officials said the funding will allow the department to strengthen evidence-based services, expand its substance use disorder workforce, coordinate health and supportive services, and develop community partnerships that support long-term recovery.
“This funding represents a significant investment in the health and well-being of our rural communities,” said Becky Hatlee, Chief Operating Officer. “It will allow us to enhance prevention efforts while expanding access to treatment and recovery resources for residents experiencing or affected by substance use disorder.”
The grant will build upon MCPHD’s existing efforts to prevent and treat substance use disorders. Through RCORP-Impact funding, the agency plans to expand prevention initiatives throughout Macoupin and Montgomery counties, including substance use prevention education programs in local schools and public libraries.
Additional prevention efforts will include expanding the Macoupin and Montgomery Teens for Teens youth substance use prevention committee, hosting community awareness events focused on prevention, and distributing overdose prevention kits to patients, family members, friends, and community partners. The overdose prevention kits may include locking medication boxes, sharps containers, naloxone, drug deactivation bags, and medication disposal pouches designed to help reduce accidental misuse of prescription medications and prevent overdose deaths.
MCPHD currently provides outpatient substance use disorder and opioid use disorder treatment and recovery services through its St. Francis Way Clinic in Litchfield. With the new federal funding, the department plans to expand those services to the Oakland Avenue Clinic in Carlinville by establishing an additional team of providers and professionals dedicated to SUD treatment and recovery.
Once established, the expanded program may offer medication-assisted treatment and recovery services (MAT/MAR), medical stabilization, individualized treatment plans, case management, group education, cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, peer support services, and social services coordination. To support the expanded services, MCPHD plans to recruit a multidisciplinary team of professionals for the Oakland Avenue Clinic. Potential positions include a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Registered Nurse, Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS), Social Services Coordinator, Health Educator and front office support personnel.
Department officials emphasize that the program will utilize a whole-person approach to care. Individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorders will have access to referrals for a range of supportive services, including transportation through Macoupin County Public Transportation (MCPT), health insurance navigation through an on-site Get Covered Illinois navigator, behavioral health services, medical and dental care, nutrition counseling from a Registered Dietitian, and more.
This award marks another milestone in MCPHD's longstanding partnership with HRSA. The department has previously received funding through several RCORP initiatives, including RCORP-Planning (2019-2021), RCORP-Implementation (2020-2024), and RCORP-Psychostimulant (2022-2025), demonstrating its sustained commitment to addressing substance use challenges in rural communities.
HRSA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administers RCORP through its Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The multi-year initiative supports rural communities nationwide in their efforts to prevent, treat and address substance use disorders, including opioid addiction. With the new RCORP-Impact award, MCPHD is positioned to significantly expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services, helping ensure that rural residents and families have greater access to the resources needed to achieve and maintain recovery.