Sunday, September 24, 2023
9/24/2023
Despite the prevalence of poverty, low reporting capacity, health disparities etc. Mississippi has made great strides in combating substance use disorders (SUDs), in a relatively short time frame. Supported by SAMHSA’s State Targeted Response (STR) and State Opioid Response (SOR), Mississippi has achieved the following outcomes: increased access to treatment; increased availability and decreased stigma of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT); increased implementation of evidence-based treatment; increased public awareness; increased capacity for and availability of Narcan; increased partnerships and collaboration among state agencies and with community-based organizations; improved state-level infrastructure; and reduced duplication of services between public agencies. At the very onset of the MS STR/SOR Projects, a paradigm shift was past due among the State’s Community Level Service Providers and First Responders. Many providers were of the mindset that MAT was merely a substitute of one addiction for another one. This type of thinking promoted abstinence as the only true means of recovery. At the same time, many law enforcement agencies and emergency response entities were of a mindset that was reluctant to concepts that called for the administering of overdose reversal medications. This culture subscribed to a thought process that suggested that there is little need to waste time, effort and/or resources on addicts that were a drain on society and would likely die eventually from another overdose, a high-risk lifestyle or complication related to addiction. It was through SAMHSA’s STR/SOR that Mississippi was afforded education and awareness resources, such as Stand-Up-Mississippi, Town Hall Meetings and increased services, that our state began to gain leverage on the SUD Crisis. Efforts such as these will allow MS to further reduce OSUDs during 2020-2022. The 2020 MS-SOR/SOR II will take aim at the remaining challenges and gaps. Best practices during SOR II will reduce re-occurrence of service gaps. The proposed project will target an estimated 11,500 Mississippians through: (1) prevention of Opioid and/or Stimulant Use Disorders (OSUDs) for persons under 18; (2) treatment and recovery for adults with OSUDs; (3) infrastructure enhancements. The identified geographic catchment area will be the entire state. Community Mental Health Centers and free-standing prevention and treatment programs cover all 82 counties. Prevention services will target school-aged youth in grades 3-8. The treatment and recovery component will target adults over 18 with OSUDs. Funding made available by SOR II will supplement and not supplant existing opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. Funding goals, objectives, and plans will be cross-referenced for duplication to include COVID-19-related funding (NOA received), the Substance Abuse Block Grant (SABG), state funding, and discretionary substance abuse prevention grants. DMH will utilize a competitive submission process whereby proposals are solicited, scored, and reviewed using a rating matrix developed directly from the requirements specified in the SAMHSA SOR 2020 FOA and further defined by DMH.
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).
