Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4/23/2024
Florida's State Opioid Response (SOR) Project is designed to address the opioid crisis by providing evidence-based prevention, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and recovery support services. The populations of focus are individuals that misuse opioids, individuals that experience an opioid overdose, and individuals with opioid use disorders. The four goals include reducing opioid-related deaths, preventing prescription opioid misuse among young people, increasing access to MAT, and increasing the number of individuals and organizations that are trained to provide MAT and recovery support services. The majority of the funding will be used for methadone maintenance and buprenorphine maintenance because controlled trials demonstrate that these services are most effective at retaining individuals in care, reducing illicit opioid use, and reducing opioid-related mortality. Funds will also be used for an extended release formulation of naltrexone that blocks the effects of opioids and is approved for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence. Funds will also be used to purchase and distribute naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote proven to reduce opioid overdose deaths. The Project Director will work with the Managing Entities and their provider networks to ensure that individuals reentering communities from prisons and jails are able to initiate MAT services behind bars and continue MAT services by being linked to community-based MAT providers upon release. It is estimated that at least 5,000 individuals will be served during the first year and a total of at least 10,000 individuals will be served over the two-year project period. Training and technical assistance on MAT will be provided to a variety of stakeholders, including potential prescribers, court staff, Recovery Community Organizations, new Medicaid plans, and correctional staff. The American Society of Addiction Medicine's computerized structured interview and clinical decision support tool will also be purchased. New Oxford Houses will be established throughout the state and Recovery Community Organizations will be developed and certified. The 1-844-MyFLVet Support Line will be expanded so veterans in need of services can speak directly to Peer Veteran Care Coordinators. The Florida Alliance for Healthy Communities will develop and implement specialty training for medical professionals through Area Health Education Centers located within Florida medical schools or colleges to increase the capacity of the healthcare workforce to prevent and treat opioid misuse and opioid use disorders. Primary prevention programs authorized under this project include media campaigns based on Utah's Use Only as Directed initiative, Botvin LifeSkills Training, and other specified programs with experimental or quasi-experimental evidence of effectiveness at preventing illicit drug use. A competitive hiring process will be used to select a Project Director, a State Opioid Coordinator, a Harm Reduction Coordinator, an Epidemiologist Assistant, a Pharmacy Technician, a Court Operations Consultant, and Behavioral Health Consultants to support child protective investigators.
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).
