Project Grant T6249311

INTEGRATED SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) TRAINING PROGRAM - COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE NETWORK (CHN) HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME AND UNINSURED NEW YORKERS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. CHN IS FEDERALLY-QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER COMPRISED OF TWELVE HEALTH CENTERS, A FLEET OF MEDICAL MOBILE UNITS AND TWO SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS. IN 2022, SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO 40,809 UNIQUE PATIENTS BY APPROXIMATELY 635 EMPLOYEES INCLUDING 68.3 FTE PROVIDERS (PHYSICIANS, NURSE PRACTITIONERS, AND DENTISTS) IN ADDITION TO 61.58 FTE NURSES; ACCOMMODATING 242,644 ENCOUNTERS. SERVICES PROVIDED INCLUDED: FAMILY PRACTICE AND INTERNAL MEDICINE, PRENATAL AND PERINATAL SERVICES, PEDIATRICS, HIV MEDICINE AND TREATMENT ADHERENCE SUPPORT, COLPOSCOPY SERVICES, PODIATRY, DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY, HEALTH EDUCATION, DENTAL SERVICES, CANCER AND OTHER DISEASE SCREENING, IMMUNIZATIONS, SCREENING FOR ELEVATED BLOOD LEAD LEVELS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES CONTROL, CHOLESTEROL AND DIABETES MANAGEMENT, NUTRITION, AND FAMILY PLANNING. REFERRALS ARE MADE FOR DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY PROCEDURES, PHARMACY SERVICES, AND OTHER SERVICES AS NEEDED. IN ADDITION TO MEDICAL SERVICES, CHN HAS BEEN DELIVERING MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES. CHN EMPLOYS A TEAM OF PSYCHIATRISTS, THERAPISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND CARE COORDINATION STAFF WHO WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHN'S PRIMARY MEDICAL AND ANCILLARY SERVICES. SERVICES INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, COUPLES AND FAMILY THERAPY, AND GROUP THERAPY THROUGH CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT GROUPS FACILITATED BY A CHN THERAPIST. CHN IS ALSO RECOGNIZED BY THE NCQA AS A LEVEL 1 PATIENT-CENTERED MEDICAL HOME AND OPERATES ONE OF THE LARGEST HEALTH HOMES CARE COORDINATION PROGRAM IN NEW YORK STATE. IN RESPONSE TO FUNDING OPPORTUNITY HRSA-23-090 AND THE OPIOID OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC, CHN PROPOSES TO EXPAND THE PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY OFFERING A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) AND MEDICATIONS FOR OPIOID U SE DISORDER (MOUD) TRAINING AND SERVICE DELIVERY PROGRAM TO PROVIDERS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY AND NEW YORK STATE. CHN WILL PARTNER WITH COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING TO HELP DEVELOP THE PROGRAM TRAININGS. ALL OF CHN'S HEALTH CENTERS ARE LOCATED IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE FEDERALLY DESIGNATED MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS (MUA), WITH HEALTH INDICATORS DEMONSTRATING SEVERE OPIOID ADDICTION AND A NEED FOR MOUD SERVICES. CHN PROPOSES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS WHO TREAT SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS BY OFFERING A PROGRAM THAT NOT ONLY PROVIDES MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT WAIVER TRAINING BUT ALSO SUPPORTS THE PROVIDER AFTER THEY COMPLETE THE MOUD SERVICES TRAINING PROGRAM THROUGH CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT SERVICES. THROUGH A VARIETY OF TRAININGS, LEARNING MODULES, CASE STUDY ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION, AND CLINICAL GUIDANCE, THE PROGRAM'S MISSION IS TO INCREASE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN THE PREVENTION, IDENTIFICATION, AND TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS WITH A FOCUS ON OPIOID USE DISORDERS. CHN PROPOSES TO HIRE 1 FULL-TIME PROGRAM COORDINATOR WITH A MASTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH (MPH) TO COORDINATE AND EFFECTIVELY RUN THE TRAINING PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE AGENCY AND WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. CHN WILL USE INTERNAL CONTENT EXPERTS AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FACULTY TO DEVELOP THE CURRICULUM AIMED TO EDUCATE OTHER PROVIDERS, INCLUDING NURSE PRACTITIONERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, NURSES, AND MEDICAL PROVIDERS ON HOW TO EFFECTIVELY IDENTIFY, ENGAGE, AND RETAIN PATIENTS IN SUD/MOUD SERVICES. INTERNAL CONTENT EXPERTS WILL INCLUDE CHN'S DIRECTOR OF PSYCHIATRY, AVP OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSING, ALONG WITH MDS AND NPS CERTIFIED IN ADDICTION MEDICINE, WITH SUPPORT FROM AN EXTERNAL ACADEMIC PARTNER. THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO INCORPORATE A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WILL COMBINE ON-DEMAND WEBINARS, LEARNING MODULES, CLINICAL VIGNETTES, VIDEOS AND A DISCORD COMPONENT TO PROVIDE THE MOST EFFECTIVE EVIDENCED-BASED CLINICAL PRACTICES IN THE PREVENTION OF SU