Project Grant G3955186

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded a $300,000 Project Grant to Medlink Georgia, Inc. under the Rural Health Care Services Outreach, Rural Health Network Development and Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement program (CFDA 93.912). The purpose of this 1-year grant, which began on September 1, 2025, is to address critical gaps in overdose prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural counties of Northeast Georgia.

Medlink Georgia, a federally qualified health center, will use the funding to: 1) Expand access to evidence-based SUD/OUD treatment and support services to reduce overdose deaths and improve health outcomes in the target rural communities; 2) Enhance the rural healthcare infrastructure through a multi-sector approach to increase accessibility, improve care coordination, and address social determinants impacting recovery; 3) Expand treatment capacity by increasing access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and behavioral health services, including through telehealth; 4) Implement universal screening for SUD/OUD and connect individuals to appropriate treatment and social services; 5) Establish and improve stimulant treatment programs to address polysubstance use; and 6) Strengthen overdose prevention efforts by distributing naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and providing training on harm reduction strategies.