Rural communities opioid response program-overdose response - lcad's rural communities opioid response program project's goal is to reduce morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD),…

The Lincoln County Ambulance District received a $600,000 project grant from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy under the Rural Healthcare Services Programs (CFDA 93.912) to implement the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response initiative in rural Lincoln County, Missouri. The award, effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026, supports the expansion of the district's service delivery model to reduce substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) morbidity and mortality through an evidence-based Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) model. The MIH team comprises primary care providers, community paramedics, emergency medical technicians, community health workers, and peer support recovery specialists who deliver prevention, treatment, and recovery services while addressing social determinants of health.

The program delivers targeted services across five core allowable activities: tertiary prevention, SUD/OUD care delivery at designated treatment sites, screening and connection to treatment services, peer support specialist recovery services, and specialized services for justice-involved populations. The project prioritizes high-risk populations including unhoused and justice-involved individuals, with services available to all at-risk individuals, those experiencing SUD/OUD symptoms, individuals in active treatment or recovery, families and caregivers, and impacted community members throughout the rural service area. The one-year implementation period aims to establish a more robust and collaborative program that reduces overdose incidents while expanding access to and sustainability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

Rural communities opioid response program-overdose response - lcad's rural communities opioid response program project's goal is to reduce morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in rural lincoln county through the selected allowable activities as identified below to improve access to, capacity for, and sustainability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for SUD. The objective of the project is by the end of the one-year period to have a more robust and collaborative program to provide access to prevention, treatment, and recovery for individuals at risk or experiencing overdoses to reduce overdoses in the county, specifically for the unhoused and/or justice involved populations. The purpose of this project is to expand lcad's service delivery model to include treatment and recovery services for individuals with SUD/OUD through the evidenced-based MIH model. The MIH model is comprised of a primary care provider, community paramedic (CP), emergency medical technicians (emts), CHW, and when applicable, a peer support recovery specialist. A MIH team provides excellent and accessible care, addresses sdoh needs, and reduces costs to the health care system. Lcad has selected the following specific activities for the project: tier 1 allowable activities • prevention - activity 1.1 - tertiary prevention • treatment - activity 1.1 - SUD/OUD care delivery sites • treatment - activity 1.3 - screening and connection to treatment • recovery - activity 1.3 - peer support specialist tier 2 allowable activities • special populations - activity 1.2 - justice involved populations the target population is inclusive of all individuals at-risk, experiencing symptoms of SUD, diagnosed with, or in active treatment/recovery for SUD/OUD; their families and/or caregivers; and impacted community members who reside in the rural target service area. While emphasis is placed on high-risk populations; the unhoused and/or justice involved populations, the goal is to meet the needs of all individuals in lincoln county in need of SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, or recovery services. The service area has limited resources available for providing health care services to the target population. The county has low-income health professional shortage area (hpsa) designations for dental, mental health, and primary care. Specific to mental health, 31.84% of the total population lives in a mental health care hpsa and 100% of the population is underserved. The rates are similar for primary care. Lincoln county's MIH program's primary focus is reaching unserved or underserved patients who inappropriately utilize emergency care to meet their healthcare needs, and/or to address conditions that result in preventable readmissions or issues related to behavioral health, particularly crisis stabilization services. For this project, lcad will collectively identify a cohort of individuals who have had multiple preventable hospitalizations, have had high EMS utilization, and are at-risk of being or are considered homeless or at-risk of or are incarcerated in the local county jail. Many individuals in the cohort will likely have CO-morbidities and CO-occurring, oral health issues, might have a disability or special needs, and/or have a history of poor self-management. Because of healthcare utilization behaviors, they do not have a primary care or behavioral health home with personnel who consistently monitor their conditions and medications and who assist them in addressing sdoh.