Author: Celeste Brooks

  • Annual Awards 2026

    Annual Awards 2026

    A crowd of Warren Coalition staff, members, and guests gathered at the Warren County Community Center on July 30th for the Annual Luncheon and Awards, where Dr. Matthew Rosario, Joyce Jenkins-Wimmer, and Coalition Secretary Holly Goode were among those honored.

    Warren Coalition Executive Director Christa Shifflett presents Holly Goode with a pin recognizing her as the Coalition Member of the Year.

    Holly was recognized as the Coalition Member of the Year for going above and beyond in her service to the organization, outside her duties as the secretary. Throughout the year, Holly consistently volunteered at events, attended fundraising meetings, and even gave her time to writing personal thank-you notes to donors. She also supported fundraising efforts with gifts and sponsorships.

    Warren Coalition Executive Director Christa Shifflett presents Joyce Jenkins-Wimmer with an inscribed clock recognizing Joyce's contributions to the Coalition over the past 17 years.

    Joyce was honored for 17 years of service to the Coalition. During her tenure, she ran the College Access Network, helping parents and students understand the college application and financial aid process, and the MORE (My Opportunity for Reinforcement and Enrichment) after‑school initiative, designed to provide youth with structured, positive activities and support to promote safety, health, and personal growth.  Since 2020, Joyce has been the coordinator for HALO (Helping All Little Ones) Read, the name of the Coalition program affiliated with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Under her guidance, the program has served more than 875 children.

    After two Warren Coalition staff members and one board member narrowed down the nominees to three, Linda and William Funk (Larry’s wife and son, respectively) selected the final winner of the Larry M. Funk Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Children in Warren County: Dr. Matthew Rosario. He was nominated by Tiffany Halliday.

    Warren Coalition Executive Director Christa Shifflett presents Dr. Matthew Rosario with the write-up of his nomination for the Larry M. Funk Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to Children in Warren County.

    “Dr. Matthew Rosario has demonstrated a strong and ongoing commitment to supporting children and youth throughout Warren County through mentorship, athletics, behavioral health advocacy, community outreach, and educational support initiatives,” she wrote in her nomination.

    While Dr. Rosario serves children through his practice, ClearHorizon Forensic & Counseling Group, Tiffany’s nomination demonstrated that he does even more beyond his office walls.

    “Dr. Rosario has supported local youth athletics through the sponsorship of sports teams and community-based youth activities. He has also served as a coach for the Skyline High School track team, where he has mentored student-athletes both on and off the field by encouraging discipline, perseverance, teamwork, and positive goal-setting,” she wrote.

    His nomination goes on to say “Dr. Rosario has also contributed directly to youth engagement through community outreach and mentorship initiatives designed to encourage confidence, accountability, leadership, and personal growth. His work emphasizes creating safe and supportive environments where youth feel seen, heard, and empowered.

    “Through his practice, ClearHorizon Forensic & Counseling Group and the ClearHorizon Foundation (501c3 nonprofit organization), he has awarded grants and provided support to local organizations that offer educational programs, mentorship opportunities, youth enrichment activities, and community-based services that positively impact children and adolescents across Warren County.”

    “I don’t get emotional, but that…that really got me emotional,” Dr. Rosario said, referring to the nomination Christa had read a moment earlier. He shared a little about his childhood, sharing that his experiences were what motivated him and allowed him to connect with kids. “How can I play poems? So understanding that this is a lot for me right now. I was like, whoa, I didn’t realize we’re doing so much stuff, but understanding that we’re doing things out of passionate care, to understand that we are about the people and about the community.”

    “We do this as a community,” he explained. “We do this to uplift one another. Children are having a huge disparity of mental health. Unfortunately, I don’t work with the adults. I only work with children, but understand that alone in the past three months, I have worked with over 20 kids in Warren County who are on substances. It is an upbringing. It’s an uprising. We have to be careful with our children, with our youth, understanding that substance use is not just affecting adults, but it’s now affecting our children. It’s affecting the generation because they don’t understand how to cope with their life stressors.”

    In addition to the previously listed awards, Christa shared that the Coalition had intended to honor Lauren Foltz, who has been the youth representative to the Coalition board for more than two years. Lauren was unfortunately unable to attend the event, so the award will be presented at a later date.

    During the luncheon, President Nick Croft, Vice President Michelle Smeltzer, and Secretary Holly Goode were also honored for perfect attendance at meetings throughout the year.

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  • Warren Coalition Receives HCAT Grant

    Warren Coalition Receives HCAT Grant

    Warren Coalition has been named a recipient for a new three-year grant from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) (https://vfhy.org/)! VFHY grant funding provides infrastructure support to build and sustain Healthy Communities Action Teams (HCATs). Warren Coalition refers to their program as Project WAHOO (Working to Achieve Healthy Outcomes and Opportunities), which is a community effort to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. This is the fifth consecutive time the Coalition has been awarded an HCAT grant.

    HCATs work collaboratively to implement policy, systems and environmental (PSE) changes that support at least one of eight healthy behaviors which can prevent and reduce childhood obesity:

    1. Breastfeeding
    2. Eating More Fruits and Veggies
    3. Reducing Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods
    4. Moving More
    5. Decreasing Screen Time
    6. Getting Enough Sleep
    7. Reducing Stress with Increased Mindfulness
    8. Decreasing Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

    Warren Coalition was awarded $120,000 ($40,000 per year for three years) to fund projects and programs between May 1, 2026 and June 30, 2029. These include the SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) program and intramurals in partner schools, to increase exercise. Through partnerships with Reaching Out Now, the Community Garden, and Debbie’s Lighthouse, the grant will support local community gardens and community meals designed to promote healthy eating. Youth Unplugged Parties and Warren County Unplugged activities organized under this grant will encourage students to reduce screen time.

    Over the next three years, funding will also go towards new built environments at E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School, Hilda J. Barbour Elementary School, Warren County High School and/or the Santmyers Student Union. Skyline Middle School, Warren County Parks and Recreation, and Reaching Out Now will also receive financial support to purchase exercise equipment. In addition to all of this, funds will support the Safe at Home tournaments and the Coalition’s Health Video Contest for middle school students.

    Past projects funded in part by the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth HCAT grants over the past 12 years have included the splash pad, the basketball court and exercise course at Rockland Park, the basketball court at Skyline Middle School, playground equipment at the Soccerplex and Thompson’s Park and Ride, pickleball nets, a portable frisbee golf course for the 4-H Center, and much more.

    A full list of HCAT recipients can be found at https://vfhy.org/healthy-communities-action-teams-grants/.

    About Warren Coalition

    Warren Coalition is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance misuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug free community through many programs and in collaboration with member agencies and businesses.

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  • Making Fentanyl Even More Dangerous

    Making Fentanyl Even More Dangerous

    When an overdose is reported, the common assumption is that the counterfeit pills contained fentanyl. Now well-known throughout the U.S., fentanyl is a highly potent opioid—only a few grains can cause a deadly overdose. It mixes into pills unevenly, like chocolate chips into a cookie, making it unpredictable.

    The positive news is that whereas at one point, seven out of ten pills contained a deadly amount of fentanyl, that ratio has gone down to three out of ten. However, the drugs that fentanyl has been mixed with to create counterfeit pills are dangerous in their own right.

    Medetomidine

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in conjunction with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) issued a Health Advisory about medetomidine in April 2026, as it was increasingly prevalent in the illegal fentanyl supply and resulting in an increasing risk for overdose. Also known as “rhino tranq” (because of its strength), “mede,” or “dex,” medetomidine is not approved for human use. It is used in veterinary practices as a sedation and analgesia in dogs.

    According to the CDC, “Medetomidine can cause profound sedation, bradycardia, and hypotension.” Dependency and addiction are also possible, and stopping medetomidine following regular use may lead to severe withdrawal symptoms, including hypertension, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and fluctuating alertness.

    The prevalence of medetomidine varies greatly by region; in the Northeast, it has been found in nearly three-quarters of counterfeit pills that also contain fentanyl. In the South (which includes Virginia), that percentage drops to one-third.

    Because medetomidine is frequently found in pills containing fentanyl and other opioids, naloxone should be administered immediately in the case of a suspected overdose. However, naloxone does not counter the effects of rhino tranq itself.

    It is impossible to tell the difference between a counterfeit pill and real medication. Many of the substances in the counterfeit pill can kill you. Fentanyl is just the most well-known.

    Nitazenes

    Nitazenes are synthetic opioids that were developed in the 1950s. Because they carried a high risk of addiction, development was halted and they were never approved for human use. Nitazenes can be up to 500 times stronger than morphine. They have been detected in the drug supply of heroin and many counterfeit pills. Like other opioids, nitazenes can result in respiratory depression and even death. While naloxone will work on nitazenes, their potency seems to require multiple doses. (There are other factors that could potentially be impacting the amount of naloxone needed, such as the presence of xylazine or the doses not being given properly.)

    Metamizole

    Metamizole, also known as Dipryrone, is a controversial drug. It is actually available in many nations, but it is illegal in the United States due to its connection to adverse effects on bone marrow and the liver, including agranulocytosis (a disease that severely impairs the body’s ability to fight infections), acute hepatitis, and acute liver failure. It is referred to as an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, the same category as ibuprofen). While its side effects are reported to be lower than those of ibuprofen and aspirin, the occurrences of agranulocytosis and liver injury were of significant concern.  

    Most people will not see adverse effects from Metamizole if they are unknowingly taking it in counterfeit pills. However, you should be aware that even if you don’t have a reaction initially, the build-up of the drug in your system can have serious consequences, in particular liver injuries that may result in a need for a liver transplant or even death. If you are experiencing fatigue, nausea, anorexia, and right upper quadrant discomfort followed by dark urine and jaundice, your counterfeit pills may contain metamizole.

    Some counterfeit pills look like opioids such as OxyContin, but others are made to look like Xanax or Adderall.

    Acetaminophen

    Acetaminophen, sometimes more well-known under the brand name of Tylenol and also called paracetamol or Panadol, is a pain-reliever and fever-reducer. It seems innocent enough, but excessive amounts of acetaminophen can result in liver injury or acute livery failure. Acetaminophen toxicity can even progress to multi-organ failure and death.

    Because you don’t know what is in a counterfeit pill, it is easy to overdose on acetaminophen, especially if you are also taking cold medicine or Tylenol. More than 600 prescription and over-the counter medications contain acetaminophen.

    What to watch for: Nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, a sense of weakness, and/or loss of appetite are your early warning signs. Abdominal pain on the right side, confusion, and dark-colored urine show up as the disease progresses. If you allow it to continue, you could experience jaundice, blood clotting issues, and even loss of consciousness or coma.

    Protect Yourself

    Make sure you purchase your medications from a licensed pharmacy. Ordering online from unknown sources can be deadly. If you have a dealer, keep in mind that they have no knowledge of what is going into the drugs they are selling you.

    Note: The heading for each substance is linked to an NIH, FDA, or CDC site where you can obtain more information.

  • Recovery Houses Receive VARR Certification

    Recovery Houses Receive VARR Certification

    In July of 2026, all three of Warren Coalition’s recovery houses became certified by the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR).

    “Accomplishing this was important to us because we want people to know that we value them, that they matter, and that we’re there to support them,’” said Warren Coalition Executive Director Christa Shifflett. “Recovery is hard work. Providing a place where they are proud to live shows that we respect them and the challenge of their journey. Recognizing and honoring their journey and courage is a way to show them that they matter.”

    VARR certification is primarily a regulatory and compliance process. It does not provide the Coalition with complimentary access to resources or services, but demonstrates that their recovery houses meet the required standards for certification. The certification process required extensive documentation, including detailed written policies and procedures covering every aspect of the recovery homes. There was a comprehensive home inspection that evaluated cleanliness, adequate sleeping accommodations, posted rules and required documentation, and overall resident safety.

    VARR certification demonstrates the Coalition’s commitment to providing consistent, high-quality care while maintaining compliance with HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 privacy regulations. It reinforces the organization’s commitment to protecting resident confidentiality, maintaining a safe and healthy living environment, ensuring appropriate accommodations, and delivering person-centered services within established regulatory standards.

    “While many of these values have always been central to our program, certification provides an additional level of accountability and reassurance that these standards are consistently maintained,” said Warren Coalition employee Julia Laurent, who led the process in obtaining the certification. Laurent serves as a Certified Substance Misuse Counselor for the Coalition.

    Shifflett noted that along with the VARR certification, the Coalition also received Virginia certification through Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), which qualifies the Coalition to apply for funding from DBHDS in the future.

    Learn more about the Coalition’s men’s recovery houses and the women’s recovery house.

  • Vape or Pouch, It’s Still Nicotine

    Vape or Pouch, It’s Still Nicotine

    The addictive nature of nicotine makes it one of the most difficult substances use disorders to overcome. People often transition from one form of nicotine use to another as they attempt to reduce their usage or quite altogether. At the same time, they are constantly bombarded by targeted marketing ads, some of which may lead them to believe that “everyone is doing it” or that a different form of the drug may be “less harmful.” Big Tobacco certainly knows what it’s doing–all of the ads can trigger a craving in someone who is trying to quit nicotine usage, making the goal more difficult to obtain.

    While many resources regarding cessation over the past few years have shifted from being tobacco-focused to being vape-focused, it cannot be ignored that pouches such as Zyn have become exceptionally popular as well, with Tik Tok “Zynfluencers” leading the charge. The fact that there is a newer form of nicotine that is socially acceptable doesn’t make it safe. The chance of addiction is high for daily users of Zyn, simply because it contains nicotine.

    We also know that the pouches contain sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, which can corrode gum tissue, causing inflammation, recession, ulcers, lesions, tissue peeling, and/or raw spots. At this point, it is unclear exactly what health risks pouches pose, because they are so new to the market and there has been so little research completed. That being said, it is important to remember that nicotine itself, in any form, can cause nausea, stomach irritation, elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, and other health problems. Among teens and young adults, whose brains are still developing, nicotine may alter brain development, impacting attention and learning.

    The Time to Quit is Now

    The healthiest choice is to not use any type of nicotine product, but if you or someone you know is already using a nicotine product, and you’re ready to quit, check this resource from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) for a variety of cessation programs:

    In addition to this list of cessation programs, the VFHY guide includes resources for educators, school administrators, prevention professionals, and community partners who want to learn more about tobacco and nicotine prevention and youth cessation. The topics include:

    • Alternatives to Suspension
    • Digital, Self-Paced Programs
    • Educational Materials for Purchase
    • Fact Sheets and Multimedia Resources for Educators

    Warren Coalition is a VFHY grant recipient. The grants help fund the DEALS HOPE drug education programs in local schools as well as Project WAHOO.

    Additional Resources

    https://www.medicalrecords.com/consumers/zyn-side-effects-an-in-depth-exploration-of-risks-management-and-implications

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-health-effects-of-fda-authorized-zyn-nicotine-pouches

    https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/zyn-nicotine-pouches-tobacco-free-health-harm-rcna157214