Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - Vegas Stronger, a community-based organization located at 916 N. Main St., Las Vegas, NV 89101, is requesting $300,000 to support the Overdose Response Program expansion in rural Nye County, Nevada. The proposed project will expand existing services at Vegas Stronger’s rural facility, located at 1141 S. Nevada Highway 160, Suite 4, Pahrump, NV 89048. The Project Director, John Seeland, may be reached at john.seeland@vegasstronger.org or 772-919-5390. Additional information about Vegas Stronger can be found at www.vegasstronger.org. The project goals are to improve access to treatment for SUD/OUD and reduce overdose risks in rural Nye County, NV. The target population is composed of individuals at-risk for SUD/OUD; individuals diagnosed with SUD/OUD; and individuals in treatment and/or recovery for SUD/OUD and their families and caregivers who reside in Nye County, Nevada. The project has an emphasis on high-risk populations, including people with socioeconomic vulnerability and those experiencing homelessness. The service area has a total population of 55,720 and the county is designated as fully rural. The needs this project will address: • Addressing high opioid prescription rates • Expanding treatment and recovery services • Supporting individuals with low economic status • Stigma reduction • Overcoming distance to care Vegas Stronger will address these needs by achieving selected allowable activities, which include the following from Tier 1 allowable activities: • PREVENTION: Tertiary prevention. Purchase naloxone, fentanyl test strips or other evidence-based tertiary prevention supplies and distribute them within the target rural service area. Award recipients must follow all applicable local, state, and Federal laws and policies when purchasing and distributing these supplies. • TREATMENT: SUD/OUD Care Delivery Sites. Establish, improve, or expand physical SUD/OUD care delivery sites. Examples include (but are not limited to): purchasing a mobile unit for providing/expanding access to treatment including pharmacies; conducting minor renovations to establish an appropriate space for providing treatment, etc. Vegas Stronger will hire two outreach specialists and one additional counselor to enhance naloxone distribution, improve community engagement, and increase access to SUD/OUD treatment services. The two outreach specialists will focus on harm reduction and linkage to care, distributing naloxone and fentanyl test strips to individuals at high risk of overdose, as well as to community-based partners. They will also conduct targeted outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, justice-involved populations, and those in remote areas to ensure that life-saving resources and treatment options reach those most in need. To further expand access to treatment, Vegas Stronger will also hire an additional counselor, increasing the capacity for assessments, individual, family, and group counseling. This expansion will provide more comprehensive support for individuals with SUD/OUD. By strengthening outreach efforts, expanding harm reduction strategies, and increasing treatment availability, this project will reduce overdose fatalities, improve treatment engagement, and enhance long-term recovery outcomes for individuals in rural Nye County.
