Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - Project Abstract Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Opioid Response Opportunity number HRSA-25-010 The Franklin County Sheriff's Office (FCSO), in partnership with its Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region (Opioid Task Force), is seeking $300,000 for one year through the HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to support The Archway Program. Covering 27 rural communities in Franklin and Worcester Counties in Massachusetts, The Archway Program (TAP) is an initiative aimed at reducing fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses and improving the health outcomes of homeless individuals with substance and opioid use disorders (SUD/OUD) in our rural area. TAP will serve 252 individuals in the rural region who met the HUD definition of being in a shelter or living outside in 2024, compared to 114 homeless individuals in 2023. TAP was created to address consistently high levels of fatal overdoses in this vulnerable population, where 15% of overdose incidents occurred with a 9.4% fatality rate. It will also address the growing number of homeless individuals experiencing mental health challenges and other barriers to care. TAP is a joint endeavor between CONNECT, the region’s post-opioid overdose follow-up and community outreach effort, and the HUB Project, a newly formed initiative serving homeless individuals, which will implement an array of HRSA-funded Tier 1 and Tier 2 allowable activities as follows: • Tier 1: Prevention o 1.1 Tertiary Prevention – Purchasing and distributing naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and other evidence-based tertiary prevention supplies. • Tier 1: Treatment o 1.1 SUD/OUD Care Delivery Sites – Expanding access to mobile outreach services to serve homeless individuals suffering from SUD/OUD in encampments and other geographically isolated areas. o 1.3 Screening and Connection to Treatment – Expanding mobile access services to SUD/OUD screenings and health care, including wound care, behavioral health, and other social services for homeless individuals. • Tier 2: Supportive Services o 2.2.1 Supportive Services – Linking homeless individuals suffering from SUD/OUD and behavioral health challenges to available shelter and other low-barrier housing, treatment, and recovery programs. o 2.2.3 Health Insurance – Helping homeless individuals obtain health insurance by removing barriers such as transportation, a lack of a secure mailing address, and a lack of identification to obtain available services. Led by research scientists Pamela Kelley and Dr. Sean Varano, Kelley Research Associates will act as TAP’s Research Partner to assess its effectiveness.
