Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning) - “We are trying to make sure the resources and the people who know how to do things are able to share it and get it out into the community.” — Second Chief, Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma (Key Informant Interview) This statement reflects our Tribe’s commitment to strengthening local systems of care and ensuring that resources are effectively connected to the communities that need them most. In alignment with this perspective, we selected Ottawa County, Oklahoma, as the target rural service area due to its high rural designation, documented behavioral health needs, and the Tribe’s long-standing presence within the county. The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, through its Health and Human Services Department and Peoria CARE (Counseling, Advocacy, Recovery, and Education) Program, proposes the RCORP-Planning Project to strengthen the rural behavioral health system by establishing a multidisciplinary RCORP-Planning Network, conducting a comprehensive Community Needs and Readiness Assessment, engaging community stakeholders, developing a community-driven RCORP Strategic Action Plan and project logic model, and strengthening workforce and organizational capacity to improve coordination of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), prevention, treatment, recovery, and related behavioral health services. The project will address local community needs related to behavioral health workforce shortages, fragmented referral pathways, barriers to care, service coordination, and access to prevention, treatment, recovery, and related behavioral health services. Through this project we will form the RCORP-Planning Network which will include representatives from Tribal government, healthcare, behavioral health, substance use treatment, recovery support services, public health, emergency medical services, first responders, justice, education, social services, and other community-based organizations. By the end of the project period, the Tribe will have established a sustainable multidisciplinary network; completed a comprehensive Community Needs and Readiness Assessment; developed a community-driven RCORP Strategic Action Plan and project logic model; strengthened provider and organizational capacity through workforce development and technical assistance; improved cross-sector collaboration and referral coordination; and positioned the community to pursue future RCORP-Impact implementation funding to expand access to integrated, coordinated, and sustainable SUD/OUD services across, and beyond, Ottawa County, Oklahoma.
