ALDMH project is to expand/enhance access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services for persons with an opioid use disorder seeking or receiving MAT. - The Alabama Medication Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) project proposes to direct grant funds to non-profit substance abuse treatment providers in two counties (Jefferson and Walker) to provide (1) Recovery Support Services, (2) Care Coordination, (3) MAT, and (4) Detoxification Services. In total, approximately 768 individuals will be served over three-year grant period. Project goals include: (1) expanding access to MAT for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), (2) increase the number of peer support specialists (PSSs) involved in MAT, (3) improve OUD treatment retention rates, and (4) decrease rates of prescription and illicit opioid drug use and overdose related deaths in Jefferson and Walker Counties. The selected counties have rates of opioid-related overdoses that far exceed the state and national averages (49 per 10,000 in Jefferson County and 52 per 10,000 in Walker County) and rates of OUD-related hospital admissions has increased by 37 percent in Alabama (2011 to 2016), with these counties having some of the highest admissions rates in the State. To reverse this alarming trend, the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) will use MAT-PDOA grant funds to contract directly with the Fellowship House in Jefferson County, a residential substance abuse treatment provider, that will in turn contract with (1) The Crisis Center (the administrator of the Jefferson County Recovery Resource Center) for intake, assessment and peer support services, (2) Cooper Green Mercy Health Services (the county’s indigent care clinic) for MAT services, and (3) the UAB Addiction Recovery Program for provision of detoxification services. In Walker County, ADMH will contract with Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center (NWAMH), a community mental health center, which will in turn will contract with Capstone Rural Health Center, an FQHC, for provision of MAT services and with Walker Baptist Hospital, a non-profit community hospital, for detoxification services. Operating within the principles of Alabama’s Recovery Oriented System of care, ADMH has selected four evidence-based practices to aid in accomplishment of the treatment outcomes for this grant: (1) MAT; (2) Peer Support Services; (3) Motivational Interviewing; and (4) Shared Decision Making. Through the use of grant funds, PSSs and care coordinators will be hired to identify, recruit and retain individuals with OUD through contact with the jail, emergency department and other referral sources; (2) availability of MAT services (buprenorphine/naloxone, Vivitrol, and oral naltrexone) will be expanded, and (3) detoxification services will be provided with Vivitrol injection at the point of release for individuals choosing this option. The addition of a full-time outreach worker will aid in dissemination of information related to OUD and the negative impact on the user and family, as well as how to access treatment services. An advertising campaign and public service announcements will further support information dissemination.
