Tuesday, May 13, 2025
5/13/2025
Expansion of Recovery Support and Outreach Services - Alabama’s system of care for co-occurring mental or substance use disorders lacks available resources, knowledge of recovery needs and services, ability to navigate the system of care, and an adequate number of certified peer support specialists. The Recovery Organization of Support Specialists (R.O.S.S) is requesting funding to address the gaps in the current system of care for the individuals recovering from co-occurring mental or substance use disorders in Alabama. R.O.S.S. is primarily located in Jefferson County, which is the largest county in Alabama; however, the nonprofit’s outreach services extend into 31 of 67 Alabama counties. Alabama is primarily rural with larger areas of the state being economically underdeveloped. As a direct result, those in recovery are often forced to go home to isolated rural communities with no or limited recovery support resources available. In addition, the opiate epidemic has left the state scrambling to provide sufficient recovery services to those in need. In 2012, Alabama was first-place in the nation for per capita opioid prescriptions with 143.8 prescriptions per 100,000 residents. This first-place distinguishing fact has not changed since 2016. In 2017, Jefferson County had nearly 300 individuals that died of drug overdose. As a result, there is a significant need to expand R.O.S.S.’s current recovery support services to meet the growing needs of those with co-occurring mental or substance use disorders in Jefferson County and throughout the state of Alabama. The goals of the project, Expansion of Recovery Support and Outreach Services, are the following: increase the number of individuals with a co-occurring mental or substance use disorder and their family members utilization of recovery support resources at the R.O.S.S Recovery Community Center (RCC); increase the ability of individuals with a co-occurring mental or substance use disorder to overcome barriers associated with entering and navigating the system of care and staying engaged in the recovery process; and increase the number of certified peer support specialists throughout the state by creating a mentor to peer work program to assist with recruiting and encouraging more individuals to become certified peer support specialists. The objectives for the first year of the project are the following: offer an additional 58 hours of services each week to allow for more opportunity for an individual to obtain recovery support services and connect to others in recovery; increase the number of trained peer support specialists to provide recovery support services at the RCC by two; increase the number of individuals participating in recovery support services by 100; increase the number of outreach workers in Jefferson County by one; increase the number of individuals and their family members receiving recovery resource services by 50; increase the number of partnerships with health care facilities to integrate peers into primary care and Emergency Departments; establish a statewide mentor to peer work program for all four RCOs in Alabama; and recruit & train a minimum of 20 individuals to be eligible for peer certification. R.O.S.S. is currently serving nearly 3,000 persons & predicts that the number served will increase by 25% each year.
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).