Faith Community Collaborative

The Faith Community Collaborative (FCC) is a working group with the Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center. In recognizing that religious institutions serve as rallying centers for addressing issues in many communities, the FCC plans to convene faith and coalition leaders to aid in strengthening engagement in support of efforts to eliminate overdoses. 

The FCC is a Pennsylvania statewide coalition that meets bimonthly to discuss successes and best practices in faith community engagement and brainstorm solutions to challenges. Members are also connected on a group listserv for additional information sharing.  

PERU expects that FCC participation will increase the presence of faith organizations in county coalitions, promote long-term retention of these partnerships, add value and support to coalition activities, and improve faith members’ feelings of positive contribution within the coalition.  

The Faith Community Collaborative is co-led by Kiandra Foster and Karley Snyder, Program Implementation Specialists with the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Program Evaluation and Research Unit (Pitt PERU).  

You can find out more about the FCC and receive emails about upcoming meetings by joining our email list at the link below.

Join the FCC Email List

Faith-Based Overdose Prevention Toolkit

This toolkit is intended for faith-based organizations (FBO) and similar places of worship to expand and strengthen their roles within the community to prevent drug overdoses, reduce harm from drug use and SUD, and establish pathways to identify and treat addiction and mental health issues.

FBO can help prevent overdoses by educating community members, connecting them with healthcare and treatment providers and community support systems, and providing life-saving tools, such as naloxone (also known as Narcan). FBO and faith leaders already work to cultivate strong communities, provide spiritual support and guidance for individuals in need, and create space for other community programs aligned with their mission.

The programs and strategies described in this toolkit are a natural extension of this important work.

Click Here to View/Download the Toolkit

Click Here to Provide Feedback on the Toolkit

Recovering Hope Faith Summit

Download Slides for Part One Here

Download Slides for Part Two Here