Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - Camden-on-Gauley Medical Center, Inc., dba Camden Family Health Project Overview: Camden Family Health (CFH), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in rural West Virginia, is applying for funding through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response grant to expand and enhance substance use disorder (SUD) services, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery, in Nicholas and Webster Counties. CFH began providing MOUD for SUD in 2018, but the current capacity is insufficient to meet rural patients' needs in both Nicholas and Webster Counties. These expanded services will fit seamlessly into CFH’s existing infrastructure (current services, IT capacity, staffing) and align with the organization’s goal of enhancing positive health outcomes throughout its service area. Need to be addressed: Rural Appalachian communities struggle with severe economic hardship and disproportionately high rates of substance use and fatal overdoses. Poverty levels in Nicholas County (17.8%) and Webster County (22.1%) exceed both state (16.6%) and national (12.4%) averages. The region also faces a critical substance abuse crisis, with opioid-related overdose deaths reaching 58.7 per 100,000—well above the national rate of 32.2 per 100,000. Additional barriers include a shortage of behavioral health professionals, high rates of untreated mental illness and substance use disorders, geographic and transportation challenges, the increasing presence of xylazine mixed with fentanyl and other drugs, and a growing reliance on support services for families. Proposed Services: Through this RCORP opportunity, CFH will provide a multifaceted approach to overdose prevention and SUD treatment. CFH intends to implement the following activities: • Harm Reduction through the purchase and distribution of naloxone, xylazine test strips, and fentanyl test strips. • Expanded MOUD through the renovations of existing space in CFH’s primary care clinic in Richwood, West Virginia. The renovations will take approximately six months to complete, and will allow space for MOUD, behavioral health therapies, and peer support services. • Expansion of peer support services to SUD patients at the Richwood site and CFH’s location in Camden-on-Gauley, West Virginia. • Development of a strategic plan for CFH to target overdose prevention and SUD interventions for Nicholas and Webster County’s unhoused populations. Population served: Through this funding opportunity, CFH will serve individuals with or at risk of SUD/OUD, unhoused populations through the service area, and unserved rural residents needing access to treatment. The project will be led by Camden Family Health’s Behavioral Health Director, a current employee, who will serve as the Project Director. The Learning Collaborative Point of Contact will be filled by CFH’s psychiatric nurse practitioner, who is also an existing employee.
