Project Grant H79TI086750

WGH EMS TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT (WGH-EMSTEP) - THE WABASH GENERAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT (WGH-EMSTEP) WILL PROVIDE EMT AND PARAMEDIC TRAINING COURSES, TRAINING IN ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURES NECESSARY TO PROMOTE REFERRAL LINKAGES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE OVERDOSE REVERSAL AND RELATED CRISES. THE PROJECT CATCHMENT AREA IS WABASH COUNTY IN RURAL SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (IL), WHERE WABASH GENERAL HOSPITAL (WGH) PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS). THE POPULATION OF FOCUS IS THE CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE EMS WORKFORCE AFFILIATED WITH WGH, INCLUDING EMTS, PARAMEDICS, AND ER NURSES, ALONG WITH FIRST RESPONDERS WHO COLLABORATE WITH WGHD EMS. WABASH COUNTY IS LESS DIVERSE THAN IL AS A WHOLE, WITH SMALL SIZES OF MINORITY SUBPOPULATIONS UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR CULTURALLY COMPETENT, TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINING AND AN EFFORT TO DIVERSIFY EMS DEMOGRAPHICS. AMID RISING STATEWIDE RATES OF OPIOID OVERDOES, WGH HAS BEEN OPERATING WITH A SHORTAGE OF CERTIFIED EMS PERSONNEL. WGH-EMSTEP WILL ADDRESS THE WORKFORCE SHORTAGE AND THE NEED TO ENHANCE TRAINING TO INCLUDE CONTENT FOCUSED ON CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANCE USE AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS WITH LINKAGES TO TREATMENT AND PEER SUPPORT. GOAL 1 IS TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE EMT AND PARAMEDIC WORKFORCE IN WABASH COUNTY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1. RECRUIT THREE COHORTS OF EIGHT CANDIDATES EACH FOR 8-WEEK EMT TRAINING COURSES; 2. RECRUIT ONE COHORT OF SIX CANDIDATES FOR PARAMEDIC TRAINING COURSES; 3. OFFER 8-WEEK EMT TRAINING COURSES TO THREE COHORTS OF EIGHT PARTICIPANTS; 4. LAUNCH PARAMEDIC PROGRAM FOR ONE COHORT OF SIX TRAINEES; 5. BY MONTH 3, OBTAIN FIVE ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT ($5,000+) NECESSARY FOR EMS TRAINING; 6. BY MONTH 3, OBTAIN 100% OF ITEMIZED SUPPLIES AND TEACHING MATERIALS (LESS THAN $5,000 EACH) NECESSARY FOR EMS TRAINING. GOAL 2 IS TO ENHANCE THE ABILITY OF LOCAL EMT, PARAMEDIC, ER, AND FIRST RESPONDER PERSONNEL TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD) AND CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1. TRAIN 100% OF EMT/PARAMEDIC CANDIDATES AND 100% OF CURRENT EMS STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PERSONNEL IN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID (MHFA); 2. TRAIN 100% OF EMT/PARAMEDIC TRAINEES AND 100% OF CURRENT EMS STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PERSONNEL IN MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING; 3. TRAIN 100% OF EMT/PARAMEDIC TRAINEES AND 100% OF CURRENT EMS STAFF AND ASSOCIATED PERSONNEL IN SCREENING, BRIEF INTERVENTION, AND REFERRAL TO TREATMENT; 4. BY MONTH 3, PURCHASE TEN UNITS OF NALOXONE NASAL SPRAY (NARCAN) FOR USE DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD BY EMS PROVIDERS. GOAL 3 IS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES AND RESOURCES TO ENSURE CONSISTENT OVERDOSE REPORTING AND ENCOURAGE EMS REFERRALS TO TREATMENT, HARM REDUCTION SERVICES, AND PEER SUPPORT. IT WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1. BY MONTH 3, ASSESS REPORTING, DATA TRACKING, REFERRAL, AND FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES RELATED TO OVERDOSE REVERSAL; 2. BY MONTH 6, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROCEDURES ALIGNING WGH AND LAWRENCE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES IN CASES INVOLVING OVERDOSE REVERSAL TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE FOLLOW-UP AND REFERRALS; 3. BY MONTH 6, DEVELOP A LIST OF TREATMENT AND PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS IN OR NEAR WABASH COUNTY TO BE DELIVERED TO EMS PROVIDERS, SUPPORTING THEM IN MAKING OR PROMOTING APPROPRIATE REFERRALS.