Project Grant GA145992

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE-IMPLEMENTATION - THE WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER (AHEC)'S SOUTHWEST ALABAMA OPIOID RESPONSE 3 (SAOR3) PROJECT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SOUTHWEST ALABAMA HEALTHCARE COLLABORATIVE, WILL IMPLEMENT A PROVEN, COORDINATED APPROACH INVOLVING A MULTI-SECTOR INTERVENTION TO INCREASE SERVICES FOR PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY AMONG THOSE AT RISK FOR SUD/OUD IN FOUR RURAL ALABAMA COUNTIES--COFFEE, GREENE, HENRY AND PERRY. PROJECT OBJECTIVES INCLUDE: 1) IMPLEMENT A NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF TARGET-AREA SPECIFIC NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND EQUIP PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS SUD/OUD WITH A GOAL OF REACHING 1,000 TARGET SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS/PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY SEPTEMBER 2023; 2) UPDATE AND IMPLEMENT AN SBIRT TOOLKIT FOR AT LEAST 15 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN THE SERVICE AREA THAT FOCUSES ON SUD/OUD WITH AN EMPHASIS ON HOW TO TREAT PATIENTS WITH INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS BY AUGUST 2025; 3) FACILITATE A MINIMUM OF 3 TRAININGS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DATA 2000 WAIVER PROVIDERS IN THE PROJECT SERVICE AREA 50% BY AUGUST 2025; 4) IMPLEMENT AN EVIDENCE-BASED COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER (CHW) PROGRAM IN THE TARGET AREA TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS RECEIVING SUD/OUD SERVICES, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO RECEIVE REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES, INCREASE SUD/OUD TREATMENT INCOME FOR PARTICIPATING FACILITIES VIA EXPANDED BILLABLE SERVICES, AND CREATE A CHW IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE FOR FQHCS; 5) FACILITATE AT LEAST 15 COMMUNITY-BASED TRAININGS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF OPIOID AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE, PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WITH A GOAL OF EDUCATING A MINIMUM OF 500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY AUGUST 2025; 6) EVALUATE PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES TO SUPPORT ACTIVITIES AFTER RCORP FUNDING HAS CEASED BY AUGUST 2025. ALTHOUGH THIS PROJECT WI LL FOCUS ON IMPROVING STRATEGIES TARGETED FOR OUD, OVERALL TACTICS FOR SUD PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY WILL ALSO BE STRESSED DURING THE PROJECT. THE PRIMARY ANTICIPATED OUTCOME OF THE PROJECT IS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO PREVENT, TREAT AND SUPPORT RECOVERY MECHANISMS FOR INDIVIDUALS AT RISK AND DIAGNOSED WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO OPIOID USE DISORDER. THE TARGET POPULATION FOR THIS PROJECT ARE ALL ADULTS 18+, WHICH INCLUDE SPECIFIC VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SUCH AS UTILIZERS OF FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS (FQHC), UNINSURED PATIENTS, MEDICAID PATIENTS, RACIAL MINORITIES AND PERSONS WHO LIVE IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES ARE: 1) INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SUD SCREENINGS; 2) INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REFERRALS TO SPECIALIZED TREATMENT AND MAT PROGRAMS; 3) INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS WHO ARE DATA 2000 WAIVER ELIGIBLE; 4) INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF MAT SERVICES; 5) INCREASE IN PROVIDER CONFIDENCE CONCERNING SUD SCREENING, TREATMENT AND REFERRAL; 6) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO UTILIZE REGIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES; AND 7) INCREASE IN COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF SUD/OUD. LASTLY, THE PROJECT WILL USE THE CARE COORDINATION MODEL TO MEET THE NEEDS OF RURAL SOUTHWEST ALABAMA RESIDENTS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SBIRT (SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT) PROTOCOL WHICH WILL INCLUDE EVIDENCE- BASED SCREENING AND REFERRAL TOOLS SUCH AS AUDIT-C, DAST-10, ASSIST, NIDA, AND PHQ-9, AS WELL AS INCLUDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHWS AT PARTICIPATING FACILITIES.