Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4/23/2024
Expanding MAT Services in Mingo County, WV – The Heart of the Nation’s Opioid Crisis Williamson Health & Wellness Center will significantly expand its ability to support substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and sustained recovery for individuals suffering from addiction throughout southern West Virginia by launching a comprehensive Medication-Assisted Treatment program. The program is located in Mingo County, WV, which has a drug overdose death rate that is 4 times the national average and will serve 360 individuals over 3 years. According to the 2018 County Health Rankings, Mingo County has a drug overdose rate of 81 deaths per 100,000 residents (increasing 25% in just one year from 65 / 100,000) and has the second highest rate in WV. This rate greatly exceeds the state of West Virginia (52 / 100,000) and the nation (19.8 / 100,000) according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data for drug overdose death rates. The City of Williamson, in Mingo County, is home to the largest coal marshaling yards in the world where billions of dollars worth of coal has passed through and has left behind one of the poorest and unhealthiest regions in the nation as coal production has declined. Residents in the service area have experienced significant job losses, have a high unemployment rate and suffer from poverty rates that exceed both the state and nation. In order to address the high rates of prescription drug and opioid addiction, WHWC has outlined two project goals: 1) Increase capacity to serve more individuals who are experiencing prescription drug or opioid addiction with comprehensive MAT services through expanded provider FTE and evidence-based peer recovery, counseling, and care coordination staffing and 2) Increase the success of MAT program participants to overcome SUD / OUD and sustain recovery using evidence-based interventions in an integrated primary care setting. These goals will be measured with number of new staff hired, number of DATA waivered providers, number of unduplicated individuals served, as well as sustained recovery measures at 3 month, 6 month and 18 month follow-up visits. WHWC will enroll 90 new clients into its MAT program by the end of the Year One, 90 new clients (180 total) in Year Two, and 180 new clients (360 total) in Year Three for a total of 360 unduplicated MAT clients served at any given time by the end of the Project Period. Planned evidence-based interventions include the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment, Motivational Interviewing/Enhancement, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Informed Care, as well as additional strategies to include peer recovery coaches, telehealth and a strong evaluation component.
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).
