Tuesday, May 13, 2025
5/13/2025
Bridges to Recovery - Fairbanks Native Association (FNA) is seeking support to implement the Bridges to Recovery project (Bridges). Bridges will reduce unmet treatment needs in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) of Alaska by improving Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) services and ensuring prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for stimulant (specifically methamphetamines) misuse and use disorders. The population to be served is American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults (18+) in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) of Alaska. With support from SAMHSA, the applicant, Fairbanks Native Association (FNA) developed a culturally appropriate continuum of care to address our tribal community’s opioid crisis, including a Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) OUD Outpatient Treatment program. Evaluation demonstrates this program is succeeding in treating OUD, as the percentage of FNA Behavioral Health clients in treatment for OUD has dropped dramatically from 2017 to 2020. The treatment completion rate, however, is below national rates. Bridges will allow FNA to increase treatment completion rates and improve long term recovery from OUD. In addition, the FNSB is experiencing a surge in AI/AN methamphetamine (meth) use and meth-related overdose mortality. At present, 60% of FNA Behavioral Health Department adult clients are in treatment for meth abuse. Bridges strategies/interventions include improving long-term recovery by implementing the Continuous Quality Management Model to increase MAT/OUD treatment completion rates, meth prevention and treatment services that include a strategic plan to address stimulants, three new Evidence-Based Practices, a Meth Counselor, and five Recovery Coaches providing Recovery Supports through Peer Support. The Overarching Goal of Bridges is to enhance the existing continuum of care for OUD through performance improvement while meeting the unmet treatment need for meth misuse and use disorders. Goal 1: is to address the tribal opioid crisis by improving the quality of the existing OUD continuum of care. Goal 1 Outcome Objectives are 1) OUD use and abuse will be decreased from existing outcome by 20%, 2) quality improvement will double the treatment completion rate for MAT/OUD Outpatient Treatment from baseline (19%) to 38%; and 3) Quality Improvement of Recovery Support will result in a 20% improvement in housing and employment status and a 20% reduction in justice involvement from enrollment to 6 month follow-up for MAT/OUD Outpatient Treatment clients. Goal 2: is to address the meth service gap by adding meth treatment and recovery support services. Goal 2 Outcome Objectives are 1) a reduction of 40% in meth use and abuse, and 2) 45% of clients will sustain recovery at 6 month follow-up. Bridges will serve 45 unduplicated clients in Year 1 and 60 in year 2 for a total of 105 unduplicated clients over the 2 year life of the project.
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).