The City of Clemson has established a partnership with Clemson University to study where opioid recovery resources are most needed in the community.
The effort is backed by more than $150,000 from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board, which was established to help address and remediate the impact of the opioid epidemic in the state.
Dr. Amanda Stover, a professor at Clemson University, says the partnership is in the evaluation stage. Researchers are currently assessing existing programs and resources to help guide the city's next steps in identifying gaps.
"Right now we're trying to do a lot of assessment and evaluation so that we can help the city see where they need to target prevention efforts or if there's improvements that can be made to education efforts," Stover said.
None of this type of work, Stover added, is a one-step process. Through continued collaboration, researchers aim to proceed as a facilitator in getting the necessary information, resources, and strategies to the areas most in need.
Officials hope the partnership signals a meaningful step in proactively combatting an epidemic through insights found in the research. Clemson City Councilmember Dr. Windsor Westbrook Sherill said the partnership is another great collaboration to benefit both the university and the city.
Once a formal contract is in place, research can get underway. Officials anticipate that could happen as early as April 20.