Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
The Fortune Society (Fortune) is proposing a new program in response to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA). Drawing on our expertise as one of the nation’s preeminent reentry organizations, Fortune will expand access to MAT for justice-involved individuals aged 16 years and above and reduce the risk of relapse and/or overdose for justice-involved adults with OUD through, “MAT services for Justice-Involved Populations.” Fortune proposes serving at least 100 justice-involved individuals each year for the duration of this program, except for the first year in which we propose serving at least 75 individuals, given the time needed for program startup. Fortune will engage our target population through “inreach” and outreach, promoting our MAT program among a wide range of partners and providers, and strengthening proactive referral pathways from departments within Fortune that see high numbers of clients with SUD/OUD, such as Admissions/Benefits Access, our Individualized Corrections Achievement Network program for discharge planning (I-CAN) and housing (both permanent and emergency/transitional). Fortune will partner with NYC Correctional Health Services (CHS), which provides MAT on Rikers Island, as well as the nurses in the Discharge Planning Unit (DPU) at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), which provides healthcare referrals for state releases, to receive referrals for continuation of MAT upon these patients’ release. Fortune will use evidence-based screening tools and practices to screen and assess eligible clients for needed MAT services, including both induction and continuation of MAT, providing abuse-deterrent formulations such as buprenorphine and/or buprenorphine with naloxone (e.g. Suboxone) to justice-involved clients throughout the duration of this program and referring to provider partners, including H+H and Montefiore Transitions Clinics, for clients seeking or in need of methadone-based MAT services or requiring MAT services during off-peak hours (i.e. evenings and weekends). In order to ensure long-term recovery and continuation of MAT through the reentry process, Fortune will leverage resources from across the entire agency. Dedicated OUD counselors with training and/or certification in Substance Use Counseling (such as a CASAC certification from NYS) will support all MAT clients with counseling and any other psychosocial supports needed, including warm handoffs and connections to services. Furthermore, recognizing the invaluable role that peers with lived experience, including experience with substance use treatment and recovery, can have in motivating those with criminal justice histories, all clients will be connected to Fortune’s NEST, a peer-driven supportive services program that will give MAT clients a safe space to engage with peers who have been through what they have. NEST provides clients with opportunities for individual mentoring and coaching, as well as peer support groups, which Fortune anticipates will prove a critical aspect of ensuring adherence to MAT over the long-term. All participants will also be provided with $10 and $20 gift cards at their 3- and 6-month check-ins to better incentivize completion of the 6-month GPRA evaluation and to promote uptake of treatment in the long-term. Furthermore, Fortune will ensure that clients are supported holistically, including in housing, employment, connections to primary/ behavioral health services, food and nutrition, and more, recognizing that instability in any one of these areas can potentially trigger a relapse or lead to an environment not conducive to long-term treatment. Fortune prides itself on a commitment to lifetime aftercare and will exemplify this dedication by ensuring that program participants are supported in recovery.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
