Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is proposing the implementation of a Contingency Management (CM) Pilot Program to address the urgent and growing challenge of stimulant use disorder (STUD) and polysubstance use among transition aged and young adults in Sussex County, a designated HRSA rural area of Delaware. Sussex County has experienced a significant rise in overdose deaths, driven by increased stimulant use and the combination of opioids with other high-risk substances. The region faces persistent barriers to care, including limited access to evidence-based treatment, transportation challenges, provider shortages, and high rates of uninsured and underinsured residents, further exacerbating disparities in treatment access and recovery support. Notably, there is a lack of FDA-approved medications for stimulant use disorder, underscoring the critical need for behavioral interventions like contingency management, which research consistently identifies as one of the most effective treatment strategies for STUD. Delaware’s CM Pilot will include a comprehensive digital therapeutics platform integrating patient education and access to virtual peer specialist services, implemented among 5 treatment providers across the county.
