Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch Receives HERO Grant to Equip Families with Lifesaving Naloxone
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Morrow, Arkansas — Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch (TCAR) has been awarded a HERO (Helping Every Recovery Opportunity) Grant through the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Program (ARORP) to provide free naloxone kits and overdose prevention education to families of teens receiving treatment.
The grant will enable TCAR to distribute naloxone, an FDA-approved medication that can rapidly reverse the effects of opioid overdose, to families with teens enrolled in treatment.
Along with the medication, families will receive education on recognizing the signs of an opioid overdose, how to administer naloxone, and the importance of having the medication readily available in the event of an emergency.
“Families are often the first line of support when a young person returns home,” said Richard Swearingen, RN, Chief Operating Officer at Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch. “By equipping parents with naloxone and the knowledge necessary to use it, we are giving them another tool to protect life while supporting long-term recovery.”
Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch serves adolescents struggling with a variety of life-controlling issues, including substance use disorders, behavioral challenges, and mental health concerns, all of which are known risk-factors for opioid use disorder. Making naloxone available helps prepare families to respond in an emergency and reinforces the importance of prevention in recovery.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, opioid overdoses continue to affect communities across the state, making widespread access to naloxone a critical component of Arkansas’s efforts to reduce overdose deaths. Through the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Program, organizations across the state are working together to expand education, prevention, treatment, and recovery resources for individuals and families impacted by opioid use disorder.
The HERO Grant reflects Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch’s commitment to caring for the whole family. In addition to residential treatment for adolescent boys, TCAR provides family therapy, parent education, and ongoing support designed to strengthen relationships and promote lasting healing.
“Recovery doesn’t happen in isolation,” said Margaret Welch LCSW, Clinical Director. “When we empower families with education, practical resources, and hope, we strengthen the support system that is so essential to lasting transformation.”
Families participating in Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch’s program will have the opportunity to receive naloxone kits at no cost while supplies provided through the grant remain available.
About Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch
Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch is a licensed residential treatment program for adolescent boys ages 14–17 experiencing behavioral, emotional, and substance use challenges. Through evidence-based clinical care, family involvement, individualized academics, outdoor adventure, equine therapy, and Christ-centered discipleship, the program helps teens and families experience lasting transformation.
About the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Program
The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Program (ARORP) invests opioid settlement funds into evidence-based programs that expand prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction efforts throughout Arkansas. The HERO Grant program helps organizations increase access to naloxone and overdose prevention education, helping save lives and connect individuals to recovery resources.
Media Contact
Marissa Snider
Marketing & Development Director
Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch
Phone: 888-289-6818
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.teenchallengeranch.com