CDS FY 24: expansion of medication assisted treatment program in eastern CT - through FY 24 congressionally directed spending, united community and family services, INC. (UCFS) will utilize federal…

CDS FY 24: expansion of medication assisted treatment program in eastern CT - through FY 24 congressionally directed spending, united community and family services, INC. (UCFS) will utilize federal funds from samhsa to expand and expedite our existing medication assisted treatment (mat) program to ensure same day treatment when someone is ready to enter recovery from opioid use. This funding period of performance is 9/30/2024 - 9/25/2025. Funds will also be used to identify more clients in need of mat services to prevent overdosing and to assist them through the recovery process with a dedicated recovery coach. To accomplish this, UCFS will hire a dedicated behavioral health clinician who will be available for rapid INTAKE of individuals ready to enter recovery and will coordinate care with the psychiatrist who will provide medication assistance. An additional recovery coach will be hired to provide outreach to the community to identify people in need of opioid recovery services to transition them into care and provide wrap-around services to address social determinants of health. We will also use the funds to purchase a mat van for the recovery coach to conduct outreach throughout all of eastern connecticut, to transport individuals who have requested treatment for opioid use, and to provide wrap-around services for clients in the mat program. Lastly, the federal funds will be used to provide bridge funding for services for uninsured clients including access to induction (INTAKE) services and medication until we can connect the client with existing access to care staff to enroll patients in medicaid/medicare. UCFS healthcare has a collaborative relationship with the uncas health district which is based in norwich and services the new london county region of our service area. As part of this funding, the PD, michelle melendez will establish linkages and collaboration with the northeast district department of health based out of brooklyn CT since we will be targeted areas in the northeast corner of CT which are in that region.