May 2021 Newsletter

Volume 1, Edition 1

Welcome to the May 2021 Surry County Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Intervention Team and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Statistics Update.  This month marks a special transition from providing statistical updates only to a new newsletter type format.

Volume 1, Edition 1 also presents information about a new transportation offering, and results of our first community needs assessment document.  

April Data Updates

Access Updated Data Charts Here!

Ride the Road to Recovery

"Ride the Road to Recovery” is a free transportation program that will serve individuals who require secure, safe, and timely transportation to substance abuse recovery providers throughout Surry County. Reaching every rural corner and serving the cities of Pilot Mountain, Elkin, Dobson, and Mt. Airy.

Surry County Substance Abuse Recovery Program  welcomes aboard our new Ride the Road to Recovery Transportation Program Staff. Newly hired part time Transportation Assistants, Becky Dursee and Teresa O’Dell, both Transportation Assistants are deep into training and looking forward in providing their skilled driving gifts soon.  In two weeks, Heather Taylor will be arriving, she is our Assistant Transportation Coordinator/driver.

We look forward to rubber meeting the road on May 24, 2021, our date to begin serving Surry County. Rides will be provided in 1 of the 5 transportation units.  Each unit has a unique name for the positive benefits it brings to the program and those receiving the gift, they are Transition, Courage, Succeed, Opportunity and Ambition. New 2021 Nissan Sentra’s will be your Ride and a 2021 Ford F350 handicap accessible bus. We encourage every rider’s feedback on our “Word Up” customer survey on punctuality, cleanliness, and friendliest driver.

We look forward to serving all of Surry County on their Road to Recovery!  Contact Deborah Giep, Surry County Substance Abuse Transportation Coordinator at
336-401-8266 Ext. 1036 or via email at giepd@co.surry.nc.us for additional information. 

Beginning on May 24, 2021 use this Link to Access the
Transportation Request Form

The Blue Print - Needs Assessment and Planning Process

The primary results of our V.O.I.C.E.S. Community Survey was recently published.   The purpose of the V.O.I.C.E.S Survey was to help evaluate medication storage patterns, community perspectives regarding substance use, knowledge of current service availability and community needs. The instrument served an intended audience of citizens over the age of 18 and living in Surry County, NC.

As the inaugural formal publication, Surry County V.O.C.I.E.S. is the first of a planned series of needs assessment, research, data analysis and planning documents intended to help create effective and evidenced based community responses to the substance use epidemic in Surry County. Planned documents include:

Blueprint 1 - Surry County V.O.C.I.E.S. Volunteering Opinions & Information Concerning Eliminating Substance Use Community Survey Primary Results (current document).

Blueprint 2 – Summary of Citizen and Community Interviews Reviewing Current Surry County Capacity and Change Readiness (expected publication early Summer 2021).

Blueprint 3 – Review of National, State and Local Indicators of Substance Use Disorder and Prevalence (expected publication, Summer 2021).

Blueprint 4 – Evidenced Based Program Recommendations Including Local Community Priorities and Capacity (expected publication, early Fall 2021).

Master Three Year Blueprint – The publication of a compendium of Blueprints 1, 2, 3 and 4 in a final and formal report of recommended actions to the Surry County Community (expected publication, early Winter 2021).

Our initial and primary survey results file can be found below. Caution is urged in interpreting any data presented in the survey without a holistic picture of Surry County in conjunction with other local community conditions. This publication is also intended to be part of a multi month model that includes additional data collected through community and leader interviews, national, state and local data analysis as well as other research and planning processes.

Have questions about the survey or our Blueprint Process?  Contact Jamie Edwards via email at edwardsj@co.surry.nc.us. 

Click Here to See the Initial Community Survey Results