Ask a Grantee - United Way of the Wabash Valley

Ask a Grantee - United Way of the Wabash Valley

How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation between guest host Robert Childs and Matthew (Matt) Swift from United Way of the Wabash Valley gives a practical look at how a rural community in West Central Indiana is tackling substance use head-on, especially methamphetamine use. Aimed at RCORP grantees and rural service providers, the talk walks through how one consortium has built a genuinely coordinated response across three high-poverty, highly rural counties.

Matt explains how their work grew from early planning grants into a broader "psychostim" project that now includes prevention programmes like Too Good for Drugs in schools, Strengthening Families for loved ones, HIV/HCV testing, SBIRT training for frontline staff, and the creation of a recovery café. If you've ever stared at a blank evaluation plan wondering where to start, you’ll hear concrete examples rather than theory. Data is a big focus, but it’s kept down-to-earth.

Matt shares how the team uses the Recovery Capital Scale through the Recovery Link platform to track meaningful change beyond just abstinence: “If they can build up all of that recovery capital, the evidence shows it leads to much more sustained recovery in the long run.” They pair this with simple surveys, PIMS data, and ongoing client feedback to check whether services are actually useful, not just ticking boxes.

You’ll also get a peek into how they built a strong consortium through United Way’s Substance Use Disorders Impact Council, monthly meetings, and lots of one‑to‑one relationship‑building rather than stiff group check-ins. For anyone working in rural behavioural health or managing a grant, this chat offers grounded ideas on prevention, data collection, and partnership-building that might spark fresh thinking for your own community.

What could your team borrow from their approach to make local services work better for the people who use them?