A summer camp created in Cumberland County that addresses kids dealing with mental health and substance use issues is hoping to expand next year. “Camp Heal” came about after Cumberland County Commissioners were looking for early intervention strategies to address the opioid issues in the community. It was funded through a $98,000 grant from the county’s opioid settlement for two years.
Camp Heal originally started in 2018 at a park in Forsyth County. It has been ongoing there except during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's week-long free camp was located at Rockfish Camp and Retreat Center in Robeson County. It hosted Fayetteville's Brentwood Elementary and 71st classical Middle School separately. One-week camps were held in June and July.
“So I don't know that we're going to have targeted schools next year,” said Casey Perry, the camp’s director. “The grant was written so that these kids would be known for a couple of years. So we do hope that some of those same kids will be able to participate again. But we also hope to write future grants to get more funding to expand the numbers of kids who can come.”
Camp Heal's activities include classes on harmful effects of vaping, dance therapy, and anti-bullying. Tara Tucker, a behavioral health community paramedic with Cape Fear Valley, said one of the goals of Camp Heal is to have paramedics and first responders engage with the kids.
“The only time they see us, is when it's something negative, and so I really want to change that, so that they know that whether we're police officer, firefighter, or paramedic, that we are safe people to talk to, and we're not there just during the bad times,” she said. “We're out there in the community, and we do things that are fun, and we care about our communities.”
Tucker said while the camp is expected to happen next year, they don’t have an official date yet.
