University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) is joined in the consortium by: St. Luke’s University Health Network (SL), Schuylkill County Mental Health, Developmental Services, and Drug and Alcohol Programs (SCDA), Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office (DA), Pennsylvania (PA) Office of Attorney General (AG), PA Counseling Services (PCS), and Center for Community Resources (CCR). The STARS Program's target population is adolescents and adults at risk for/with substance use disorder and co-occurring behavioral health disorders (SUD/BH) in Schuylkill County, PA. STARS will focus on three populations that have historically suffered from poor health outcomes/disparities: individuals with co-occurring SUD/BH, those with SUD/BH in the criminal justice system, and adolescents with SUD/BH and their families. The goals and objectives of STARS are to: (1) address barriers to improve access to integrated SUD/BH services via a crisis walk-in center (CWIC), enhance SUD/BH/harm reduction knowledge and competence, and improve the identification/coordination of care for those with SUD/BH via screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) and case management (CM); (3) improve SUD/BH services by increasing providers trained to provide coordinated, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and equitable SUD/BH services, enhancing referral systems, and improving data sharing; (4) improve capacity to address SUD/BH risk factors/SDOH via community needs assessments to identify service gaps, supporting prevention/harm reduction programs, and increasing recovery support and family focused services; (5) integrate continuous quality improvement and evaluation efforts; (6) disseminate learnings and sustain STARS through the Medicaid BH MCO and state partners.