Project Grant H79TI085034

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SUPPORTS STUDENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER - PROJECT LINCOLN UNIVERSITY (LU) SUPPORTS STUDENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (LUSS-SUD) WILL FOCUS ON THE LU STUDENT POPULATION. LU WILL PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PROGRAM EVALUATION AND RESEARCH UNIT (PERU). LUSS-SUD WILL EXPAND SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT (SBIRT) SERVICES, IMPLEMENT HARM REDUCTION PRACTICES, OFFER CASE MANAGEMENT, AND CONNECT HIGH-RISK STUDENTS TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RECOVERY-SUPPORT SERVICES. THE NUMBER OF UNDUPLICATED LU STUDENTS TO BE SERVED WILL INCLUDE 250 IN YEAR 1, 250 IN YEAR 2, AND 250 IN YEAR 3 FOR A TOTAL OF 750 STUDENTS DURING THE ENTIRE PROJECT PERIOD. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS IS LU'S UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT POPULATION, WHICH IN FALL 2021 WAS 1,767 STUDENTS, OF WHICH 84% WERE BLACK, 6% HISPANIC/LATINX, 3% MULTIRACIAL, AND LESS THAN 4% ASIAN, AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE, WHITE, AND/OR UNKNOWN/DID NOT DISCLOSE. THE PRIMARY LANGUAGE WAS ENGLISH, WITH UNDER 5% OF STUDENTS SPEAKING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. STUDENTS WERE 67% FEMALE AND 33% MALE WITH AN AGE RANGE OF 17 TO 25 YEARS OLD. STUDENTS INCLUDED PA RESIDENTS (49%), OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENTS (47%), AND U.S. NON-RESIDENTS (2%). LU ESTIMATES 24% IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ+ BASED ON NATIONAL PREVALENCE. THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR LU STUDENTS WAS $45,600, WHICH EQUATES TO THE 47TH AVERAGE INCOME PERCENTILE. THE GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA INCLUDES LU STUDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS IN RURAL CHESTER COUNTY, PA. IN 2021, LU STUDENTS WERE FROM 28 STATES AND NINE COUNTRIES; INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COMPRISE UNDER 10% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION. CHESTER COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE MAINLY WHITE (78%), HAVE HIGHER MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ($104,161) THAN PA ($63,627), AND A HIGHER PROPORTION OF PERSONS POSSESSING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER (54%) THAN PA (32%). LUSS-SUD'S GOALS INCLUDE: GOAL 1) BY SEPT. 2025, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LU STUDENTS SCREENED FOR SUBSTANCE USE AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS (SUD/MH), AND CO-OCCURRING PHYSICAL HEALTH (E.G., HIV OR HEPATITIS C ID TESTING) BY INTEGRATING SBIRT INTO HEALTH AND COUNSELING SERVICES (HCS); GOAL 2) BY SEPT. 2025, EXPAND ACCESS TO EVIDENCE-BASED HARM REDUCTION PRACTICES FOR LU STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS HIGH RISK FOR SUBSTANCE USE BY INTEGRATING BRIEF ALCOHOL SCREENING INTERVENTION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS (BASICS) AND CANNABIS SCREENING AND INTERVENTION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS (CASICS) INTO COUNSELING SERVICES, AND FOR LU STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS HIGH-RISK FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE BY INTEGRATING TARGETED NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND RESIDENCE LIFE; GOAL 3) BY SEPT. 2025, IMPROVE CARE COORDINATION FOR LU STUDENTS ACCESSING OR ENGAGING IN SPECIALTY SUD/MH TREATMENT BY ESTABLISHING A CASE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT WITHIN COUNSELING SERVICES; GOAL 4) BY SEPT. 2025, ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUITIES AND DEVELOP A RECOVERY-SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT BY PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FROM LU TO SUD/MH TREATMENT PROVIDERS, DEDICATING SPACE TO ACCESS TELEHEALTH TREATMENT, IF APPROPRIATE, AND ESTABLISHING RECOVERY- SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ON CAMPUS; GOAL 5) BY SEPT. 2025, PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION USING GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT, QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGIES, AND EHR ENCOUNTER DATA TO IMPLEMENT CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND HEALTH EQUITY INITIATIVES, PROMOTE SBIRT SUSTAINABILITY, AND ASSESS STUDENT OUTCOMES; AND GOAL 6) BY SEPT. 2025, OPTIMIZE PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY BY DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO SUSTAIN ACTIVITIES BEYOND THE GRANT PERIOD. THROUGH THESE GOALS AND ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES, LUSS-SUD WILL ESTABLISH A COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGIATE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND RECOVERY PROGRAM TO ADDRESS SERVICE GAPS TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT STUDENTS AT-RISK/WITH SUD/MH TO INCREASE ACCESS TO SUD/MH TREATMENT.