Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Impact - Arcare, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with more than 40 years of experience delivering accessible, community-based health care, will serve as the lead applicant for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Impact Program. Arcare has a long history in effectively addressing SUD/OUD related needs by establishing MOUD programs across their four-state footprint. Arcare has been the lead applicant and/or a network partner in three RCORP funding programs over the last eight years, with proven evidence-based outcomes and financial security. Arcare has aligned with the following network partners (Behavioral Health Response Consortium) to drive measurable improvements to integrate, coordinate, and build sustainable services for substance use disorder and opioid use disorders in rural communities. Partners include Arcare (lead agent), Independence & Izard County District Court Systems, John 3:16 Ministries, 100 Families, and 14th Judicial Circuit Court. Arcare will use this program to directly align and continue to advance the Making America Healthy Again priorities and include strategies for measurable activities and outcomes. This network will build a coordinated rural SUD/OUD service system that connects education/prevention, screening, treatment initiation, medications for opioid use disorder, recovery support, care navigation, and supportive social services across the four-county region. The overarching aim of this program is to expand evidence-based interventions and promising practices that strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals and families affected by opioid and substance use disorders. Goal 1: Establish and expand SUD Service Delivery access through coordinated, comprehensive, and evidence-based SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services across the four-county rural service area. Goal 2: Establish, expand, or enhance coordination with supportive social services to ensure that rural individuals and families impacted by SUD have the greatest opportunity possible for sustained, long-term recovery. Goal 3: Develop a responsive SUD workforce, which includes both clinical providers with various scopes of practice and peers. Goal 4: Engage a multi-sector network to deliver RCORP-Impact services in the target rural service area and ensure the continued availability of services after the period of performance. In accordance with RCORP-Impact requirements, the project is designed to address the needs of the entire target rural service area rather than isolated sites or subpopulations, with strategies tailored to local need, service gaps, and barriers to care across all four counties.
