A new effort to help West Volusia residents rebuild their lives after opioid use disorder is moving forward with a $500,000 community grant from the Volusia County Opioid Abatement Program. The initiative, called RISE — Recovery, Initiative, Support and Education — is being developed to ease the practical and emotional challenges that make recovery especially difficult to sustain.
The grant was awarded directly to AdventHealth DeLand, which will develop and operate RISE as part of its behavioral health services.
County leaders selected AdventHealth DeLand because it is the only hospital in West Volusia offering both inpatient mental health care and voluntary addiction care.
With the funding, AdventHealth DeLand will build a more coordinated system of care for individuals working to heal from opioid use disorder and strengthen local partnerships already in place.
To better serve individuals and families in recovery, AdventHealth DeLand’s RISE program will offer:
- Short-term medication support: Helping people stay stable after leaving the emergency department by bridging them to ongoing treatment and reducing the risk of relapse.
- A dedicated addiction counselor: Providing one-on-one care, group sessions, and coordination with community recovery partners to guide patients on their healing journey.
- Transportation and temporary housing assistance: Offering travel vouchers and safe lodging for individuals receiving extended medical treatment or experiencing housing instability.
- Education and community outreach: Equipping patients, families, and local partners with tools and information to reduce stigma and promote understanding around addiction and recovery.
The timing reflects what many residents already know firsthand.
Mental health and substance use have become some of the most pressing concerns in Volusia County, according to a recent Community Health Needs Assessment. Drug and alcohol use was identified as one of the top priorities, noting that overdose deaths in the region remain significantly higher than the state average.
RISE will help close some of the gaps families often encounter when trying to maintain progress after a crisis.
Many people leave an emergency department still facing instability at home, difficulty accessing follow-up care or uncertainty about where to turn for consistent help. Through these funds, AdventHealth DeLand will work to strengthen that bridge — offering medical care, emotional support and local connection in one place.
“Every person deserves the chance to heal and feel whole,” said Khelsea Bauer, president and CEO of AdventHealth DeLand. “Through RISE, we’re standing with our neighbors as they rebuild their lives — offering care that restores hope, strengthens community, and supports healing in body, mind and spirit.”
AdventHealth DeLand is already a central part of the region’s behavioral health landscape. The hospital offers voluntary inpatient treatment for both mental health needs and substance-use crises and works closely with SMA Healthcare, whose peer specialists assist patients in local emergency departments. The hospital also partners with Volusia Recovery Alliance on overdose-response education and Narcan distribution, and engages schools and nonprofits on youth mental health.
RISE will build on that foundation by expanding access to practical, person-centered support. The goal is to help people stay connected to care in the first hours and days after an overdose or emergency visit — a period when the risk of relapse is especially high.
For families across Volusia County, these services could make recovery easier to sustain as connection to a counselor, peers, and reliable information can often make the difference between someone losing momentum and finding stability. Many of the barriers residents face are not medical, but practical.
“This grant allows us to build a clearer path forward for people who are ready for a fresh start,” Bauer said. “Recovery doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people feel steady, supported and surrounded by care.”
