Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - Project Overview: Rainelle Medical Center (RMC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in rural West Virginia that is seeking funding through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response (RCORP-OR) to expand and enhance substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services in Greenbrier and Summers Counties. This project builds on RMC’s recent Behavioral Health Services Expansion (BHSE) efforts, integrating RCORP services to address the opioid and stimulant crisis through a comprehensive, patient-centered approach. These additional and expanded services will align well with RMC’s current program model, clinical services, IT infrastructure, and staffing capacity. Additionally, the RCORP services complement the organization’s goal to promote positive health outcomes throughout Greenbrier and Summers County. Need to be addressed: Rural Appalachian communities face severe economic hardship alongside high rates of drug use and fatal overdoses. For example, the poverty rates in Greenbrier (20.7%) and Summers County (19.2%) exceed West Virginia and United States averages of 16.6% and 12.4%, respectively, Additionally, the service area experiences a disproportionately high burden of opioid-related fatalities, with drug overdose death rates of 60.0 per 100,000 in Greenbrier County and 97.5 per 100,000 in Summers County, far beyond the national average of 27.0 per 100,000. Other challenges include a limited availability of behavioral health professionals, high rates of untreated mental illness and SUDs, geographic and transportation issues, a rise in stimulant misuse (particularly among young West Virginians), and growing dependence on support resources for families. Proposed Services: Through this RCORP opportunity, RMC will provide a multifaceted approach to overdose prevention and SUD treatment. RMC intends to implement the following activities: • Harm Reduction through the purchase and distribution of naloxone and fentanyl test strips. • Screening and connection to treatment in primary care and school-based settings, and training additional providers on validated screening tools such as DAST, CRAFFT, and AUDIT. Treatment methods include clinical therapy, MOUD, and peer support services. • Stimulant identification and connection to treatment in schools and pediatric settings for misuse among children and adolescents. • Expansion of peer support services for children, adolescents, and SUD patients’ family members. • Supportive social services and enhanced care coordination. • Engaging youth populations for screening, prevention, and treatment. Population served: Through this funding opportunity, RMC will serve individuals with or at risk of SUD/OUD, youth and adolescent populations, families and caregivers impacted by SUD, and unserved rural residents needing access to treatment. The project will be led by Rainelle Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Director, a current employee, who will serve as the Project Director and the Learning Collaborative Point of Contact.
