Monday, May 5, 2025
5/5/2025
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Impact - The CONNECTIONS to Treatment and Recovery Project (aka, the CONNECTIONS Project), will ensure the rural community of Athens and neighboring Counties in Ohio, receive improved access to the evidence-based, comprehensive care and recovery support services for those at risk or suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The CONNECTIONS Project recognizes the challenges predisposing Athens County to increased risk for addiction, including poverty, unemployment, lower household incomes, fewer Primary Health Care providers, and limited or no access to addiction care. The devastating illnesses, injury and loss of life that occurs with drug overdoses, drug and alcohol addiction, has long impacted the Athens County communities. Athens County, like the State of Ohio, have experienced higher rates of unintentional drug overdose deaths, than most other counites and states in the US. We propose “one stop shop” treatment approach to deliver comprehensive SUD/OUD care, including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), behavioral counseling, and wrap around services addressing social determinants of health and gaps in care to promote successful lifelong recovery. The CONNECTIONS Project will bring key local agencies providing SUD/OUD and behavior health care, in the Athens County together, to build a workforce focused on excellence. With the lead coming from OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, the following partners complete our Network Members: Athens Public Health Department, Health Recovery Services and 317 ADAMH Board. No one treatment provider or entity in the community can provide all the services and resources. By complementing one agency’s strength for another’s weakness and filling the gaps in care, we propose to provide interventions in key locations, and build sustainable processes through strong coordination of care between local community agencies. OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital and Emergency Department (ED) is a convenient, trusted, full-service referral hospital for Athens County, yet offers limited SUD/OUD treatment services. To fill this gap in care, the CONNECTIONS Project will start an Inpatient Addiction Medicine Consultation Service at OH O’Bleness Hospital, dedicated to providing comprehensive evidence-based care including MAT. To address the need of lack of providers, we will hire Certified Nurse Practitioners (NP), a Collaborating Physician, a Substance Use Navigator (SUN), Health Care Navigator and a Counselor. Our services will include but not limited to-withdrawal management; overdose management; MAT (e.g., methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, acamprosate, Vivitrol®, disulfiram); linkage to follow up care; counseling; linkage to community social services; harm reduction such as naloxone; assist with obtaining insurance, vouchers to pay for medication; transportation assistance to follow up visits and contingency management to improve follow up care compliance. Additionally, we propose to expand access by increasing the Outpatient Addiction Medicine Clinic hours, days of the week and provide both in-person and virtual telehealth care. We also propose to start a new Low Barrier outpatient option for the community to access MAT. This will allow us to reach out to the patients where they are, rather waiting for them to come to us for treatment. By providing Community Outreach MAT, our team (NP, Health Care Navigator and Counselor), can stabilize patients, avoid ED visits for overdose and withdrawal management, provide linkage to MAT and recovery support services. We will take “real time” referrals and initiate treatment in settings that are lacking a provider to initiate MAT e.g., Athens Public Health Department Needle Exchange Program, Homeless shelters, 317 ADAMH Board partners such as jails and courts, and shelter for domestic violence victims. This service will adapt to the needs of the community and stay flexible as we can have a broad reach to address the community’s need for SUD/OUD Care.
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).