SPTHB FR-CARA Program - The Southern Plains Tribal Health Board (SPTHB) proposes a First Responders–Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) project to strengthen opioid overdose prevention and response capacity in 11 rural Oklahoma counties, including Tribal communities within the jurisdictions of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the Absentee Shawnee Tribes. SPTHB will collaborate with Tribal Nations, emergency response agencies, healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, and community partners to establish a coordinated overdose prevention and recovery support system. The project addresses significant opioid-related challenges affecting rural and Tribal communities. The service area includes approximately 639,119 residents and faces barriers related to rural access, poverty, and behavioral health needs. In the project catchment area, 75 opioid-related deaths were reported in 2024, including 67 deaths involving fentanyl. Statewide data also demonstrate substantial need, with 18.4% of individuals age 12 and older reporting a substance use disorder and 23.5% of adults reporting any mental illness. The goal of the SPTHB FR-CARA project is to reduce opioid overdose deaths by increasing first responder capacity, expanding community overdose prevention education, improving post-overdose referral systems, and strengthening community-based overdose prevention infrastructure. Project activities will include traditional tribal-based responsive training for first responders and community partners on FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM), overdose response safety, emerging drug trends, Good Samaritan laws, prevention strategies, and connections to treatment and recovery supports. The project will also establish standardized response protocols, resource mapping, warm handoff procedures, and community education efforts. SPTHB will implement evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies, including Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), community coalition approaches, responsive prevention strategies, first responder protocols, warm handoff referral practices, and continuous quality improvement. A Community Overdose Prevention Workgroup will support implementation, guide community engagement, and ensure activities reflect priorities and community needs. SPTHB has more than 50 years of experience supporting Tribal public health initiatives and has extensive expertise in substance use prevention, behavioral health, epidemiology, training, technical assistance, and evaluation. Through established partnerships with Tribal Nations and community organizations, SPTHB will strengthen local capacity and support sustainable overdose prevention systems. The project will serve at least 225 first responders and 1,400 community members during the grant period. Expected outcomes include increased first responder readiness to administer OORM, improved community awareness of overdose prevention strategies, strengthened connections to treatment and recovery services, enhanced partnerships, and improved data systems to support ongoing overdose prevention efforts.
