Friday, April 26, 2024
4/26/2024
The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate will mobilize public health strategies for its Tribal Opioid Response to reduce unmet treatment need and opioid overdose related deaths for American Indian citizens of the Lake Traverse Reservation spanning northeast South Dakota and southeast North Dakota. Although the public health impact will benefit all 13,872 enrolled members and the 7,010 user population of the Sisseton Indian Health Service, the project will primarily serve the subpopulations of focus in the following categories: 1) criminal justice clientele; 2) diagnosed by a qualified addiction profession with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD); 3) pregnant women; 4) suicidal behavior; 5) at risk for overdose. Currently, care is disjointed. Access to the full-spectrum standard of care (including medication-assisted therapy integrated with primary care, psychosocial, and recovery support services) does not exist. SWO proposes to implement Care Connector services to provide integrated case management. Clarifying and defining relationships and processes will be a major project aim in order to bridge communication and service gaps that currently exist among the various agencies and providers involved and develop a continuum of care for tribal citizens with OUD. The Care Coordinator will to promote the evidence-based practices, not yet available to Lake Traverse Reservation citizens, in a safe and efficient manner. The goal is to increase the Tribal Government’s sovereign public health capacity to respond to the national opioid abuse and overdose crisis through development and implementation of collaborative prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for Tribal citizens diagnosed with OUD. Because of stigma associated with OUD and presumed distrust of an essentially clinical function being administered outside of a primary care setting, SWO estimates engaging 25 participants in the first year, primarily through the criminal justice track, as well as through referrals from the Tribe’s substance use disorder treatment programs (increasing to 50 clients by project end). The project will also promote awareness through community education about available services and how to access them and will network with outside agencies and coalitions to mobilize resources and foster changes to combat the opioid crisis.
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).
