Tuesday, April 23, 2024
4/23/2024
The Chickasaw Nation (CN) provides American Indians (AI) with comprehensive health services that promote healing and wellness. The goal of this project, the Chickasaw Nation Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Clinic, is to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to opioid use disorder (OUD) within tribal boundaries. This project will enhance prevention and harm reduction strategies, design and implement workforce development plans and initiate an innovative pharmacy-led MAT clinic while connecting to established recovery support services. The population focus of the project will be AI aged 18 years or older with an opioid use disorder and who reside within the 13 jurisdictional counties of the CN. The CN counties exceed state averages for opioid prescriptions per 100,000 by 120 percent. Additionally, eight of the 13 counties within the CN were in the top two tiers of counties with opioid prescriptions with a dose greater than 90 Morphine Miligram Equivalents (MME)/Day, 65 residents of every 100 had high dose prescriptions. In Oklahoma, 64 percent of unintentional poisoning deaths related to prescription drugs were due to opioids. The project goal is to prepare medical staff and clinical teams through education and mentorship. First, four to eight medical staff will be supported in achieving the Data Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) 2000 Waiver Certification in year one and an additional four providers in year two. Also, there will be a Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training for 20 staff a year for two years totaling a minimum of 40 participants. Next, overall education will be provided to a minimum of 45 medical staff on OUD statistics and strategies that will be developed during the strategic planning session, as well as engaging them in the conversation of OUD in the primary care setting and the tools available for addressing OUD. A set of five unduplicated CN representatives, from various sectors within the tribe, will be sent to the National Rx Abuse and Heroin Conference in Atlanta, GA. This will be a multi-departmental group to receive the latest in trends and innovative approaches for public health entities such as a tribe. The overall goal of the program is the implementation of medication-assisted therapy. Adults, age 18 and up, will be identified and treated with OUD through a physician-pharmacist collaboration by increasing access to buprenorphine/naloxone (SUBOXONE ©) treatment, optimizing patient care, minimizing physician burden and limiting potential diversion. The goal is to serve 30 patients a year for two years for a total of 60 participants. By the end of year two, project staff plan to achieve a 50 percent success rate in treatment. Prevention strategies will be implemented to stem the tide of accidental poisoning for which three of the top five counties in the State of Oklahoma are within the CN’s boundaries. This strategy will include community outreach and education, distributing 500 lock boxes per year for two years for a total of 1,000 lock boxes and providing 1,000 doses a year of Naloxone to patients, families and community entities for two years for a total of 2,000 doses. It will be coordinated and implemented through a strategic planning process that will include all the stakeholders within the CN.
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).
