Big Springs Medical Association, Inc

Goal 1: Establish new MAT access points to provide both medications and supportive services to individuals with OUD and/or AUD in rural communities; • Goal 2: Enhance the MAT workforce through recruitment, training, and the development of peer mentorship networks; • Goal 3: Build community capacity and infrastructure to support more effective and efficient MAT service provision; and, Goal 4: Ensure sustainability of the new MAT access points through improved billing and coding as well as enrollment of eligible individuals into health insurance. Target rural counties are located in the Ozark Mountains, with rolling hills and numerous traversing streams which result in many geographically-isolated areas. Five of the seven counties are considered Level 4 Frontier and Remote Areas, the highest degree of geographic remoteness. Target area counties are also located in the Missouri Delta Region—an area prone to frequent flooding. Poverty throughout the Delta area is more than 10% higher than the nation, and counties in the Delta region also have disproportionately worse health outcomes compared to the nation. The combination of scarce resources, pervasive poverty, and substantial risk factors for OUD/AUD and mental health issues, as well as overall poor health outcomes of the region, requires MHHC and the partners identified in this grant application to proactively work together in order to mitigate the adverse effects of OUD/AUD.