Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program - Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital (SNLH), on behalf of the Coast to Cascades Community Wellness Network (CCCWN), requests $1,000,000 to implement Project NEXT (Nurturing Empowerment, eXcellence and Transformation for Youth). Project NEXT will improve the behavioral health and well-being of youth and young adults in rural Lincoln County. This will be done by expanding delivery of substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health conditions (MHCs) services through an engaged consortium. Oregon has the highest prevalence of youth mental illness in the US and the third highest rate of youth with SUD. Lincoln County youth and young adults face even higher levels of mental illness, suicide, and poverty and have access to fewer behavioral health services than youth across Oregon. Further, 15% of Lincoln County youth are unhoused. Spanish-speaking, unhoused, and LGBTQ+ youth have historically suffered poorer health outcomes, disparities, and inequities. Behavioral health services are limited in Lincoln County and are difficult to access due to long wait lists and staffing shortages. No prevention education is provided in schools. Emergency housing and supports are challenging for youth and young adults to access. New and expanded services include counseling in school-based health centers; peer support for SUD and MHCs; emergency housing and safety net services; and SUD education in high schools. All activities will occur in Lincoln County, target youth and young adults, and be completed by April 30, 2029. Goal 1: Expand delivery of accessible evidence-based behavioral health services. Obj 1: Increase access to counseling through integration into school-based health centers Obj 2: Increase access to peer support services for SUD and/or MHCs Goal 2: Expand delivery of behavioral health education and outreach. Obj 1: Provide Botvin’s LifeSkills Training in high schools Obj 2: Expand behavioral health outreach Goal 3: Expand access to safety net services and emergency housing Obj 1: Increase access to shelter and safety net services Goal 4: Develop and sustain innovative, multi-sectoral approaches to ensure the continued Services. Obj 1: Establish formal project infrastructure to meet deliverables Obj 2: Provide effective communication to stakeholders and community Obj 3: Identify and coordinate resources to sustain services Evidence-based models: Peer Support for SUD, Peer Support for Mental Health, Botvin’s LifeSkills Training, Integration of Behavioral Health Services into the Primary Care Setting Project NEXT will increase access to behavioral health services, improving health outcomes among youth and young adults in our rural communities. Counseling services will be integrated in school-based health centers serving 8 youth a week, peer support services will be provided for those with SUD or MHCs and peer support outreach will take place at 4 community events a month; emergency housing and support will be provided for 5 youth and young adults a month; 1,440 teens will receive LifeSkills Training. A sustainable services delivery infrastructure will be established comprised of project members SNLH, Lincoln County Health and Human Services, Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, and Lincoln County Community Justice. Project NEXT members are actively addressing SUD and MHCs in our rural communities. They have experience working together on large-scale, HRSA-funded initiatives and years of participation in CCCWN. CCCWN is a mature network of 24 health and community organizations, including the Substance Use Disorder/Mental Health Coalition, which will support this project. SNLH is a non-profit, 16-bed Critical Access Hospital with a robust infrastructure and experience overseeing similar projects. We request a funding preference. Qualification 1: Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Applicant and service area are in HPSAs. Service area: Lincoln County fully rural County and Low-Income Primary Care HPSA.
