Community forums spark important conversations

Over the past month, Rise Above and community partners in the New River Valley have hosted a series of six community forums at each of our local libraries. Forums have included panels of healthcare providers, people with lived experience, and people working in the Recovery Ecosystem.

Panelists shared personal and professional stories, discussed the history of the opioid epidemic in our region, and welcomed questions from community members.

Our region has been deeply impacted by the opioid crisis. Jon Dance, who moderated the panels, offered a poignant opening to each event: 

“In Virginia, overdose remains one of the leading causes of death for adults under 65. Here in the New River Valley and surrounding rural communities, we continue to see the impact of substance use shaped by isolation, limited access to care, stigma, and systems that were never built with rural communities in mind.

Those numbers matter, but numbers never tell the whole story. Behind every statistic is a person, behind every person is a family, and behind every family is a community carrying more than it was meant to carry alone.”

Dr. Noelle Bissell, Director of New River Health District, spoke on each panel and called on our communities to focus on connection and shared values. She shared a quote from Thomas Jefferson to highlight that we may agree on more than we think: 

“A difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.” 

When reflecting on the forums, Bissell also shared, 

“We all want what is best for our community, even though we may differ some on how to achieve that. Through open dialogue we can find common ground.”

These forums sparked important dialogue about the realities of substance use, stigma, and potential solutions in the New River Valley. Dozens of community members attended these conversations, asked questions, and shared their perspectives.

Community conversations are just the beginning of a much larger initiative- if we can talk openly and honestly with each other, then our chances of saving lives and reducing the harms of the opioid crisis are much greater.