Project Grant H79TI086349

BRUNSWICK COUNTY ADULT TREATMENT COURTS - BRUNSWICK COUNTY TREATMENT COURTS (BCTC) AIMS TO EXPAND COURT CAPACITY TO SERVE A GROWING NUMBER OF HIGH-RISK, HIGH NEED SUBSTANCE AND CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS. WHILE BCTC HAS OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY WITH GRANT FUNDING SINCE 2008, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO INCREASE CAPACITY TO REDUCE OVERDOSES AND OVERDOSE DEATHS AMONG ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME, SERIOUS FELONY, OR LESS SERIOUS MISDEMEANOR IN SUPERIOR COURT AND ARE SENTENCED TO PROBATION. FURTHER, BCTC AIMS TO REDUCE DISPARITIES AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS AND MORE EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFY AND SERVE PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ. THE PROJECT PROPOSES ENROLLING 70 NEW PARTICIPANTS IN YEARS 1 THROUGH 4 AND AN ADDITIONAL 50 PARTICIPANTS IN THE FINAL YEAR, SERVING 330 PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE GRANT. BRUNSWICK COUNTY IS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA AND HAS A POPULATION OF 144,215 PEOPLE. OF THESE, 86.8 % ARE CAUCASIAN, 9.5% ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, 5 % ARE HISPANIC, 1% ARE NATIVE AMERICAN, AND 1 % ARE OTHER ETHNICITIES. THE COUNTY IS 52% FEMALE AND 48.1% MALE POPULATION. BRUNSWICK COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE EDUCATED, WITH 92% GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL OR HIGHER AND 29.5% HOLDING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER. THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME HAS INCREASED SINCE 2018 AND IS NOW $59,763. THE RELATIVELY HIGH INCOME AND EDUCATION LEVELS IN THE COUNTY ARE PRIMARILY DUE TO THE INFLUX OF HIGH-INCOME RETIREES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND MAY OBSCURE THE HIGH RATES OF POVERTY AND POOR HEALTH IN THIS LARGELY RURAL COUNTY. IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY, OVERDOSE DEATH RATES HAVE DECREASED THROUGH OVERDOSE AWARENESS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE. YET OVERDOSES AND OVERDOSE DEATHS REMAIN A SERIOUS PROBLEM. IN 2022, BRUNSWICK COUNTY HAD 154 TOTAL OVERDOSES, OF WHICH FIVE WERE FATAL. OF THE NON-FATAL OVERDOSES, 66 WERE GIVEN MULTIPLE DOSES OF NALOXONE. IN 2018, THE COUNTY RECEIVED A SAMSHA CSAT GRANT T1081046 AND EXCEEDED THE INTAKE RATE BY 126% OF THE TARGET, AND CONSISTENTLY MET THE GOAL FOR 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP RATES. RECENT DATA IDENTIFY TRENDS THAT JUSTIFY A NEED TO EXPAND SERVICES FOR A GROWING POPULATION OF INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LGBTQ POPULATIONS WHO ARE CURRENTLY UNDER-REPRESENTED IN TREATMENT COURTS, GIVEN THE POPULATION OF PROBATIONERS. BCTC PLANS TO CONTINUE TO SCREEN AND ASSURE ACCESS TO MEDICALLY ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS AND CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT TRAUMA-INFORMED, FAMILY-CENTERED, EVIDENCE-BASED BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT SUSTAINED RECOVERY. THE BCTC INTENDS TO ENHANCE PEER-LED SERVICES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS TO INCREASE RECOVERY AND HEALTH-RELATED COMMUNITY SERVICES ENGAGEMENT. FINALLY, ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIPS WOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MORE INCLUSIVE WRAP-AROUND RECOVERY SERVICES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES, DECREASING DISPARITIES, AND REDUCING RECIDIVISM WHILE IMPROVING SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY.