Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3/12/2025
Toiyabe Indian Health Project (TIHP) remains concerned about the impact of the opioid crisis on rural tribal communities and believes there is an urgent need to continue the expansion of outreach, continued education, and treatment. With appreciation for the COIPP support provided since 2021, TIHP has made significant strides in advocacy, MAT treatment, and outreach, yet the impact of the opioid crisis remains substantive across the rural Inyo and Mono County tribal communities that fall within the TIHP service area. The California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard (COSD) reported a rate of 18.7 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 persons. Comparatively, Inyo County reported 22.6 deaths per 100,000 persons. Inyo County also experienced a significant increase in opioid-related emergency department visits, reaching 198 visits per 100,000 visits in 2022, far exceeding the state’s rate of 20 visits per 100,000 visits. TIHP is dedicated to serving the Native American and resident population of Inyo and Mono Counties, focusing on those most vulnerable to opioid misuse, including youth, Elders, and families grappling with economic and housing instability and including individuals who are homeless, pregnant, and lack transportation, and who are often isolated from essential health resources. Through a comprehensive approach to combat the opioid crisis, TIHP will: 1) increase public awareness and education, 2) create comprehensive support teams, 3) increase access to MAT/MOUD treatment, and 4) increase harm reduction activities. This will be accomplished through culturally relevant awareness and education campaigns, working with Tribal Elders, youth, adults, and partner agencies to identify individuals struggling with opioid misuse, staff support with lived experience to help decrease individual and caregiver stigma, and MAT/MOUD treatment support and resources to help prevent overdose and reduce the harm associated with opioid use. TIHP has the organizational capacity to successfully implement the proposed activities of its COIPP program. With its support staff, TIHP provides a wide range of health, dental, optical, mental, and behavioral services, including MAT services, individual/family therapy, psychiatric services for adults and older children, substance abuse prevention, intervention and treatments, health promotion, outreach, and education programs at the three comprehensive health care clinics it administers in Inyo and Mono Counties. Through the current COIPP grant award, the team has accomplished a number of its advocacy, MAT treatment, and outreach objectives including increased MAT/MOUD treatment services, case management support, outreach through educational materials, one-on-one, social media, and mobile app communication, and an increase in the number of harm reduction kits that have been distributed. Data for progress reports will be collected through primary surveys that will encompass: 1) quantitative data (e.g., incidence rates of opioid misuse, relapse, and overdoses, mortality, completion of treatment programs, reduction in opioid use over time, screenings completed); and 2) qualitative information (e.g., personal narratives, family and work stigma perceptions, coping mechanisms) facilitated by data-sharing agreements with CTEC.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).