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The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) has announced the winner of the Robert M. deVoursney Best Practices Award for 2024 as the New River Valley Recovery Ecosystem. The award was presented at a recent meeting of the New River Valley Regional Commission. The Best Practices Award recognizes organizations that have initiated innovative regional activities which have contributed significantly to the effectiveness of a region.

The New River Valley Recovery Ecosystem (NRVRE) is a five-year collaborative, regional opioid

abatement program bringing together five jurisdictions for project delivery. It has received just under $4.4 million in funding through two years from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA), along with more than $1.5 million in local matching funds to date. In addition to the local governments that are involved, other regional organizations and school divisions are partners in the project.

A unique aspect of the NRVRE is the oversight and integration across prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. The Awards Committee was impressed that the recovery ecosystem intentionally coordinates these elements to develop structural changes that support wellness across the region. The project was successful this past year in launching both a region-wide, anti-stigma campaign reaching over 33,000 individuals and families through various forms of outreach, as well as a collaborative mobile harm reduction outreach program through the New River Health District.

Planning District Commissions were enabled by state legislation in 1968, and most were established the following year. There are 21 PDCs and Regional Commissions in Virginia made up of elected officials and citizens appointed by local governments. The purpose of Planning District Commissions is to encourage and facilitate regional solutions to problems of area-wide significance. This is done by promoting the efficient development of the physical, social, and economic policies of all districts by assisting local governments to plan for the future. The PDCs of Virginia joined together to create the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions in 1987 to share best practices and further regionalism across the Commonwealth.