Congratulations Dr. Atherton!

Dr. Leigh Atherton, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Sciences, has been awarded a 5-year, $2.5 million grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

Project Engage Eastern North Carolina (Engage-ENC) will serve individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders, in treatment or early recovery, who are unemployed or under-employed. The catchment area for Engage-ENC will include a seven county region of eastern North Carolina (NC) comprised of the following counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Hyde, Martin, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington. Engage-ENC will offer three integrated services: Vocational evaluation services, SUD/COD services, and Vocational Counseling services.

Several faculty from DARS are also apart of the project – Dr. Celeste Crawford, Dr. Jennifer McDougal, and Dr. Paul Toriello.