Klamath Tribal Health & Family Services Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project - Klamath Tribal Health and Family Services (KTHFS) proposes a Community Opioid Intervention Pilot Project that builds off current MAT program strategies. Overdose-related deaths account for 60% of deaths for American Indian/Alaskan Natives; often associated with suicide, which also disproportionately affects the Native population, particularly Native men. KTHFS began a MAT program in response the opioid crisis in 2019, which focused primarily on community outreach and education and partnership development. Some of these activities have been impacted by COVID-19, but despite the setbacks, project staff are seeing increased awareness of the opioid epidemic and engagement – particularly with Native Youth – in pledging to remain opioid-free. There is also more understanding within the medical community and tools to help monitor dosages and track prescriptions in an effort to prevent opioid addiction. The program struggles to adequately address treatment services. The Behavioral Health department is small and overburdened with treating all types of mental health issues. They also have no licensed doctor or nurse practitioner on staff, so all medications such as Suboxone must be coordinated with medical providers, which causes unnecessary delays in accessing treatment for opioid-dependent patients. The goal of this project is: To provide comprehensive, culturally appropriate opioid intervention services using innovative techniques to address opioid addiction through prevention, treatment, and after-care. KTHFS will achieve this goal through increasing public awareness, creating comprehensive support teams, and improving treatment of opioid addiction through the MAT program. KTHFS is committed to honoring the culture and history of the Klamath people through use of traditional practices such as sweat lodges, cultural arts and crafts, youth engagement, and peer support. These practices are designed to heal the spirit of the patient and combine with other treatment for the mind and body, such as counseling, medication, and wrap-around services that address the environmental conditions that enable opioid abuse. KTHFS will work with project partners such as the Klamath County Opioid Task Force and the Northwest Indian Health Board. The MAT team will also continue its collaboration with medical, behavioral health, and Klamath Tribal Departments to ensure adequate support services are in place to support family counseling, cultural healing practices, and environmental supports such as housing and employment assistance. Project funds will be used to hire a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to treat patients, pay for the Project Manager to oversee grant activities – particularly related to community outreach and education – and cover program costs such as billboards, printed materials, educational presentations, partner development, staff training, consultant support, and culturally-appropriate treatment services.
