SAFE RESPONSE MS: First Responder Overdose Reversal Training and Post-Overdose System of Care - Project Abstract Project Name: Project SAFE RESPONSE MS Applicant Organization: Mississippi State University Project Summary: Project SAFE RESPONSE MS, led by Mississippi State University, will address the opioid crisis across 20 rural Mississippi counties by training 5,000 first responders and community members in overdose prevention, distributing at least 2,333 free naloxone kits, and building a post-overdose system of care in which a peer recovery support specialist provides follow-up and warm handoffs to treatment. The project aims to reduce overdose deaths. Population of Focus: The project will serve first responders (firefighters, law enforcement, and EMS personnel) and key community members in a 20-county rural catchment area that is home to more than 600,000 residents; all individuals served will be adults (ages 18+), with an expected age distribution mirroring the adult catchment population (roughly 29% ages 18-34, 48% ages 35-64, and 23% ages 65 and older). The region is marked by widespread economic distress, documented service gaps, the third highest state opioid dispensing rate in the nation (61.4 prescriptions per 100 persons; CDC, 2024), and severely limited access to substance use treatment: all 20 counties are federally designated mental health professional shortage areas, and many communities rely on volunteer fire departments that have never received overdose response training. Strategies and Interventions: The primary intervention is Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), using a curriculum adapted from SAMHSA's Opioid Overdose Prevention and Response Toolkit and delivered regionally through three training hubs. Trainings incorporate Motivational Interviewing techniques so participants can encourage treatment and facilitate referrals. A Peer Recovery Support Specialist with lived recovery experience will conduct post-overdose follow-up, offer support to survivors and families, and provide warm handoffs to treatment through MSU Behavioral Health, our clinical partner. Community anchor organizations, including churches and a Drug Free Communities coalition, together with MSU Extension county agents engaged through our Extension Specialist Co-PD, will connect the project to trusted local networks, and a community engagement workgroup representing the population of focus will guide the project throughout. Project Goals and Measurable Objectives: The overarching goal is to decrease opioid overdose deaths in the 20-county catchment area. • Goal 1: Increase overdose response capacity. Train 5,000 unduplicated first responders and community members in OORM administration and referral protocols over four years (Year 1: 500; Years 2 through 4: 1,500 annually). • Goal 2: Ensure widespread access to naloxone. Distribute at least 2,333 naloxone kits over four years (Year 1: 233; Years 2 through 4: 700 annually), with automatic replacement of kits used in the field. • Goal 3: Establish a post-overdose system of care. Offer peer recovery support, treatment and recovery information, and a warm handoff to treatment to 100% of overdose survivors and family members identified through the project. Services will begin within four months of award. Performance on all seven FR-CARA measures will be reported quarterly through SPARS, with a local evaluation and annual reports.
