Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - The applicant is Mohave, County of, with activities provided by the Mohave County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), an eligible agency located in and serving Mohave County, Arizona. MCDPH provides a spectrum of health-related services throughout the county, including programs to address and prevent opioid use and overdose. Funding from HRSA will build upon, but not supplant, current funded activities. This request will support the Mohave County Coordinated Opioid Overdose Prevention Project, or MCCOOPP. Needs to be addressed - Mohave County is located in the northwest corner of Arizona and has 13,331 square miles of land area, making it the second largest county in Arizona by total area. Mohave County borders both Nevada and Utah, is primarily desert and is very sparsely populated. The entire county is designated as medically underserved by HRSA. The total population of the County is 213,267, with 16 persons per square mile, significantly less than Arizona’s 62.9 or USA 93.8 persons per square mile. The locations to be served are Kingman, the County seat, population 32,689, Bullhead City, population 41,348, Colorado City, population 2,478, unincorporated areas Golden Valley, population 8,801, Yucca, population 96, and Meadview, population 1,420, and census designated place Golden Shores, population 1,927. All data is from the 2020 Census and all locations are included in HRSA rural designated areas. Currently, MCDPH lacks sufficient staffing to effectively reach at-risk rural populations and provide screening, referral to treatment, substance use disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) information and education, as well as referrals to supportive services, to meet demand. The request to HRSA will allow us to add two full-time staff and double the number of education and screenings we can provide to justice involved adults and juveniles at recovery courts located in Kingman and Bullhead City and add services to six extremely rural locations. Proposed services: The Tier 1 activity supported with this request is 3) Screening and connection to treatment. MCCOOPP will utilize the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) tool. SBIRT is an evidence-based approach to identify individuals who use alcohol and other drugs (substances) at risky levels. SBIRT has been shown to be valid and reliable in identifying and improving outcomes for people who use substances. Referral to treatment, when indicated, will be done utilizing Terros Health and Southwest Behavioral & Health, both current MCDPH partners. Tier 2, supportive services, will also be provided to help facilitate long-term recovery of rural residents who struggle with SUD/OUD. Life assessment and skill building will occur to justice-involved adults and juveniles at Mohave County Recovery Courts, and referrals will be made to participants to supports such as employment, behavioral health, and access to food programs. The HRSA award will significantly increase screening, referral to treatment, and access to supportive services that facilitate long-term recovery for rural, underserved residents of Mohave County. Anticipated impact and outcomes during the award period are: 280 unduplicated rural residents will receive SUD/OUD information, of those, an estimated 58 will be screened and referred to treatment when indicated. The 280 served includes - 80 justice involved adults and juveniles will receive life skills assessment and referrals to social services, and of those, 25% or 20 will be screened; 60 rural residents will receive SUD/OUD education materials, and of those, 40% or 24 will be screened; and 140 rural residents will be reached via public health outreach, including MCPHD Health Fairs in Bullhead City and Kingman, and monthly Street Teams Health Fairs in rotating rural locations, of the 140, an estimated 10%, or 14, will be screened (when confidential areas are available).
