Puerto Rico First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (PR-FR-CARA) - The Puerto Rico Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (PR-MHAASA), Puerto Rico's Single State Authority (SSA) for substance use services and State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), proposes the Puerto Rico First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (PR-FR-CARA) Project to reduce opioid overdose deaths by expanding overdose prevention, naloxone access, first responder capacity, and linkage to treatment and recovery services throughout Puerto Rico, with emphasis on rural and other communities with limited/insufficient medical resources. The project will serve individuals at high risk of opioid overdose, first responders, community organizations, justice and social service personnel, families, and other key stakeholders through a coordinated, evidence-based public health approach. Over the four-year project period, the project will train approximately 4,300 first responders and community representatives, provide overdose prevention education to 700 individuals at risk, refer at least 105 individuals to treatment and recovery support services, prepare 32 trainers through a Train-the-Trainer model, and distribute a minimum of 1,500 Narcan® kits annually. The project’s goals are to: (1) strengthen first responder and community capacity to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses through evidence-based training and naloxone distribution; (2) increase community awareness while improving timely linkage to treatment and recovery support services for individuals and families affected by overdose; and (3) strengthen Puerto Rico’s statewide overdose prevention infrastructure through strategic partnerships, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable community capacity. Key objectives include expanding naloxone training and distribution, increasing overdose prevention education, strengthening referral and care navigation, implementing trauma-informed practices, establishing new community partnerships, monitoring overdose trends through MHAASA’s Overdose Event Monitoring System (OEMS/SiMES), and developing long-term sustainability strategies. Project activities will be implemented through partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers, hospitals, community- and faith-based organizations, support services providers, HIDTA, and other public and private entities. Community Anchor Organizations will extend services into areas with limited/insufficient resources through community-based outreach, peer educators, and trusted community networks. PR-MHAASA will collect all required GPRA and program performance measures through SAMHSA’s SPARS system and use continuous quality improvement to monitor outcomes. The Project will ensure integration of behavioral health, public health, first responder systems, and community partnerships, expanding overdose prevention capacity, improve timely access to treatment and recovery services, and strengthen Puerto Rico’s coordinated response to the opioid overdose crisis.
