Engage Eastern North Carolina: Capacity Expansion (Engage ENC: CE) - The rates of substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns in rural eastern North Carolina have steadily increased, along with new incidences of unemployment, HIV and viral hepatitis, and experiences of homelessness. Unfortunately, this increase has disparately impacted individuals with SUD/COD. Project Engage Eastern North Carolina: Capacity Expansion (Engage ENC: CE) will leverage the existing Engage ENC treatment infrastructure to grow within an eight-county catchment within eastern NC to enhance identification and access to treatment for those who present with substance use and co-occurring mental health symptoms. Over the 3-year project period, Engage ENC: CE enroll and serve a total of 320 unduplicated individuals from the eight-county catchment area. Engagement services will include providing screening and assessment for substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns, care coordination, and treatment services, harm reduction services, and HIV and viral hepatitis testing and care coordination. The mission of Engage ENC is to provide innovative, community engaged, and recovery-oriented interventions that assist individuals throughout the continuum of care. Engage ENC: CE will build upon the existing outreach and treatment model of Engage ENC through the expansion of mobile/community-based treatment and increased community partnerships to increase access to appropriate care and minimizing barriers to sustained engagement. The goals for Engage ENC: MAI are to: 1) Increase rates of sustained recovery for individuals with SUD/COD within the catchment area; 2) Decrease the unemployment rate for individuals with SUD/COD within the catchment area; 3) Increase access to SUD/COD and HIV and viral hepatitis treatment providers for individuals within the catchment area; and 4) Increase access to SUD/COD care for individuals experiencing homelessness within the catchment area. To achieve these goals, the objectives of Engage ENC: CE are: 1a. Provide Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for SUD or COD for 100% of enrolled clients; 1b. retain at least 80% of enrolled clients who screen positive for SUD or COD in treatment through 90-day follow-up; 1c. demonstrate a reduction of substance use frequency for at least 65% of enrolled clients by 6-month follow-up; 1d. demonstrate an increase in psychosocial functioning for at least 65% of enrolled clients by 6-month follow-up; 2.a) 85% of participants will complete vocational evaluation activities (i.e., interest, values, aptitude, barriers assessment), 2.b) 60% of eligible participants will engage in Individual Placement and Support services; 2.c) 65% of participants who obtain gainful employment will retain employment at the 90-day follow-up period; 3a. Provide HIV and viral hepatitis screening to 100% of at-risk enrolled clients; 3b. link and coordinate connection to appropriate HIV and/or viral hepatitis treatment for 100% of enrolled clients requiring treatment within 30 days of positive test confirmation; 3c. provide HIV prevention education and referral to PrEP for 100% of enrolled clients considered at high risk for HIV; 4.a) screen 100% of enrolled clients for housing security; and 4.b.) link and coordinate 100% of enrolled clients experiencing homelessness to appropriate county housing coordinator.
