Alta Care Group Receives $123K Grant to Empower Youths

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Alta Care Group has been awarded a $123,151 grant from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation to expand the YouthMOVE program.

YouthMOVE (Motivating Others through Voices of Experience) is a national youth-driven organization with chapters across the country dedicated to enhancing services and systems to foster youth inclusion, mental wellness and healthy transitions. 

Locally, Alta operates the Mahoning County chapter of the program, with Alta Behavioral Healthcare peer supporter Gianna Pupino acting as the Northeast Ohio YouthMOVE youth leader.

“We’re honored to receive this grant from OneOhio. The programs and services of YouthMOVE are complimentary to everything we do at Alta Care Group, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to expand that reach even further,” said Joe Shorokey, CEO of Alta Care Group.

The grant will help grow Mahoning County YouthMOVE’s reach by expanding its services for youths ages 12 to 17 and empower them to advocate for themselves and lead fulfilling substance-free lives.

Alta plans to launch a six-week after-school program, facilitated by certified youth peer supporters, that incorporates new curriculum and integrates it into positive social-recreational activities in a club-like setting that will increase engagement and participation. The sessions will run once a week for two hours, focusing on skill development, prevention activities and understanding peer influence.

Additional programs that are planned include esports tournaments and gaming sessions with peers, arts and craft workshops, outdoor activities, music and jam sessions and further engagement in community projects and initiatives.

The grant is part of an inaugural round of approximately $51 million in funding made available by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation as part of its mission to combat the opioid epidemic by supporting prevention, treatment and recovery programs and services in communities. The grant money was funded by 55 percent of settlement funds that Ohio is receiving from the pharmaceutical industry as a result of its role in the national opioid epidemic.

“Across Ohio, organizations like Alta Care Group are working day in and day out to strengthen their communities that have been impacted by the opioid epidemic,” said Alisha Nelson, executive director of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation. “We’re pleased to partner with Alta Care Group to support their efforts to save lives, rebuild families affected by addiction and foster strong and resilient places to live.”

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.