Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - ADDRESS: 283 West Second Street, Oswego, New York 13126-3878 PROJECT DIRECTOR: Sandra L. Waldron, ABD, LMSW, Master CASAC, CTP CONTACT: phone - (315) 342-4489 fax - (315) 602-0793 EMAIL: swaldron@farnhaminc.org WEBSITE: www.farnhaminc.org FUNDS REQUESTED: $300,000 PROJECT: Farnham Family Services, a private, not-for profit organization founded in 1971, has provided solutions to the problems created by substance use with an uncompromising commitment to quality and professionalism. Farnham will lead the project with partnering agencies Desens House and Cayuga County Community Mental Health Center (CCCMHC). The COORDINATED OVERDOSE RESPONSE PROJECT will support immediate response to the overdose crisis in rural areas of NY's Oswego and Cayuga counties through improving access to, capacity for and sustainability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorders (SUD). The partners will execute the required activities of this project with three areas of focus: 1) Community Access to Treatment 2) Improve and Expand SUD Services 3) Reduce Workforce Shortages and Increase Professional Development NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED: Opioid use is a major public health crisis in New York State. The most serious consequence of the crisis is the sharp rise in fatal overdoses. Per NYS DOH, Oswego County saw a 108.8% increase over a four-year period for opioid overdose death rates, and 289.6% increase in overdoses involving opioid pain relievers rate. Farnham is requesting RCORP Overdose Response funding to be a catalyst for change in the opioid overdose crisis. This project will provide RAPID ACCESS to treatment, address WORKFORCE shortages and deliver community-based HARM and STIGMA REDUCTION services. The Oswego Health Needs Assessment (2021) indicated significant unmet needs, revealing addiction, overdose, mental health and suicide as the primary health concerns in the community. Initiating the proposed services is a vital step in accomplishing the objective to prevent opioid overdose deaths. PROPOSED SERVICES: Farnham will lead this project, in collaboration with Desens House and CCCMHC, to: - establish, improve, and expand SUD/OUD care sites and improve capacity for access to telehealth - implement Harm and Stigma Reduction Strategies, including the purchase and distribution of Naloxone - provide certification and formalized training programs to enhance ability to care for individuals - provide training for individuals seeking certification as a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) and coordinating placements in local SUD/OUD service delivery sites - provide Continuing Education Units (CEU) for professions that are recognized by respective boards - assist uninsured individuals with SUD/OUD from the target service area with obtaining health insurance and accessing SUD/OUD treatment and behavioral health services - establish supportive housing program in Oswego, New York POPULATION GROUP: This project focuses on 3 distinct primary underserved populations in rural Oswego and Cayuga counties that experience disproportionate access & engagement in services: * Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations * Individuals at risk of or diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) seeking Medication Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) services * Women of reproductive age (15-49) with SUD, pregnant/post-partum women and women experiencing co-occurring mental health conditions.
