Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Expanding the Homestead ??? Technical Assistance to Prevent Opioid Misuse in the Dakotas - Farming and ranching families provide essential services and products to the economy. However, this population also experiences unique challenges such as job-related injuries, unpredictable weather conditions, and economic changes that increase their risk of opioid misuse. To address this risk, South Dakota State University Extension and North Dakota State University Extension will partner to provide high quality, resources including virtual trainings on opioid misuse and educational materials to community members, Extension professionals, and other front-line staff working with the target population. Access to mental health providers to address symptoms of stress or depression is lacking in most rural farming/ranching communities (Mohatt, n.d.). And even where services are available, few mental health professionals understand the specific stressors related to agriculture (Hartley, Ziller, Loux, Gale, Lambert, & Yousefian, 2007). In North and South Dakota, over 80% of counties are defined as rural, and 85% of North and South Dakota counties are considered mental health shortage areas meaning the number of providers does not meet the need. Given that both states are sparsely populated, while covering a large geographic area, access to virtual trainings and educational materials is essential. The current project will address this gap in services by providing technical assistance through the Extension network at SDSU and NDSU. SDSU and NDSU Extension will work with the Opioid State Targeted Response and State Opioid Response teams in both states to accomplish two goals: 1) Increase the number of community-based professionals with training in opioid misuse prevention, and 2) Provide access to high quality print and electronic educational materials to farming and ranching families. Progress toward Goal 1 will be accomplished through the following objectives: 1) Partner with Overdose Lifeline, Inc., to provide access to 7 peer-reviewed webinars to a minimum of 150 professionals by the end of Year 2; 2) Train 20 professionals per state to deliver opioid misuse programs by the end of Year 2; 3) Train 10 Extension professionals per state to be trainers in the opioid misuse programming in Year 2; and 4) Train 100 Extension professionals to facilitate Naloxone Layperson trainings by the end of Year 2. Progress toward Goal 2 will be assessed through the following objectives: 1) Partner with Overdose Lifeline to provide 7 peer-reviewed webinars to a minimum of 150 farming/ranching community members by the end of Year 2; 2) Provide evidence-emerging opioid misuse programs to a minimum of 5,000 youth or adults per state by the end of Year 2; 3) Develop a project website to provide quarterly updates on available trainings, webinars, and access to educational materials; 4) Mail bi-quarterly newsletters to all county Extension offices and 2,000 farming/ranching households per state, per year; 5) Project staff will attend at minimum 10 rural community events targeted toward farming/ranching individuals and families to promote project awareness by the end of Year 2; 5) Collaborate with statewide partners including STR/SOR grantees, Extension offices, departments of health, and offices of rural development to develop and distribute educational materials at least once each quarter. The collaboration is expected to reach 6,500 individuals annually across ND and SD, with a total project reach of 10,000 unduplicated individuals. Given the unique risk factors associated with the agriculture industry, conditions are right for significant increases in prescription opioid misuse in ND and SD if more prevention efforts are not instituted. The proposed project will expand upon efforts to reach farming and ranching families directly through providing access to opioid misuse prevention trainings and educational materials.
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).