Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
The Tule River MAT Project will provide the Tule River Indian Health Center, Inc. (TRIHCI) with the staffing, resources, recovery programs, tools, and data analysis strategies needed to enable TRIHCI to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services at the organization’s primary and satellite clinics. The project will help to address the opioid crisis among the Tule River Indian Tribe, other indigenous individuals, and Medi-Cal patients living in Tulare County, California. The TRIHCI is poised to launch the proposed MAT services, because the organization has completed extensive planning, infrastructure creation, partner building, policy development, EHR development related to MAT services, outreach/education, staff training, and negotiating with a MAT provider during the past four planning years. As a result, it was determined that a part-time (16 hours a month) telehealth MAT physician would be the most effective strategy to provide MAT services. A full-time on-site Project Coordinator/Case Manager position will be filled by a Registered Nurse (RN) to assist the MAT physician by conducting the pre-MAT physical assessment (e.g., urinalysis/toxicology report), accompany patients during telehealth visits, and track patient understanding of and compliance with MAT protocols. Referrals to the MAT Project will be welcomed from any Reservation department (e.g., emergency medicine, public safety, education, Tribal court, family and social services, etc.) as well as from Tulare County Medi-Cal providers. Primary care physicians will be trained to conduct an opioid use risk assessment using the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Quick Assessment, the PHQ-9, and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). The Outreach Worker will provide outreach/education (e.g., impact of trauma on opioid use, success stories of MAT patients) at tribal and non-tribal community events (e.g., health fairs) in Porterville and Visalia. MAT banners will be placed in high visibility areas on the reservation and in Visalia and will include project contact information. The Outreach Worker will post opioid use warnings and MAT-related posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and on the website to provide education and alert people to pertinent events (e.g., medication take back days, Naloxone distributions). The Tule River MAT Project will also incorporate several culturally relevant programs (e.g., Yetcha Mi Yeti – a Leadership Youth Group with male, female, and co-ed weekly support groups; Daughters of Tradition II (a character-building program for girls); and cultural craft distributions, as well as the White Bison Medicine Wheel and Wellbriety 12 Steps, a culturally-driven Tribal program that explores the historical roots of addiction within the Native population; Talking Circles, a trauma-informed cultural practice, foster positive psychology through peer support for Tribal and non-Tribal participants; and a youth Gathering of Native Americans (GONA), which will equip 100 Tribal youth per year to support each other to make positive choices for mental wellness. The Tule River MAT Project will also support important harm reduction activities -- Naloxone distribution, medication lock box distribution, and medication take-back days.
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).
