Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene and Columbia counties have received state funding to support a joint effort to train physicians and nurse practitioners in the use of buprenorphine, a prescription drug used to treat an addiction to narcotic pain relievers. The Columbia County Board of Supervisors voted on October 10, to accept the $75,000 award from the state Department of Health. The Greene County Legislature accepted funding in the same amount, September 17. “This dovetails off of the joint work we have been doing in the opioid task force,” said Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden. “But the efforts will be county-specific, so each county will train its own doctors and nurses. We both operate under the same guidelines.” The grants will also be used to train individuals recovered from addiction to serve as recovery coaches employed by Twin County Recovery Services and the Greener Pathways Program. “These coaches are peers who have been there and been through recovery before,” Columbia County Public Health Educator Victoria McGahan said. “They will educate people on what recovery services are available to them. They will guide them to recovery.” McGahan said the training is extensive and requires a considerable time commitment. “If people want to apply they should call the [county] department of health,” McGahan said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.