Workit Health

Workit Health will establish telehealth MAT access points to support individuals experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the targeted rural service areas of Ashland County, Hancock County, and Crawford County, Ohio. The project will expand and tailor Workit Health's telehealth MAT and behavioral health program–specifically to provide a set of services that better align to the unique and culturally specific needs of individuals living in the targeted rural service areas. Through marketing, outreach, and a targeted community network, the project will ensure that traditionally underserved populations are reached, including individuals without insurance, individuals who face transportation or other obstacles to reaching services, as well as maternity patients and individuals from diverse backgrounds. The telehealth model will further provide a unique opportunity to ensure that patients who face privacy impediments receive care, with research pointing to health privacy as a growing need for rural patients. Over the course of the three-year project, Workit will reach at least 300 unduplicated individuals with OUD or AUD across the three service areas. Patients will have access to video-based medical and counseling sessions, self-paced cognitive behavioral therapy courses, chat messaging with clinical staff, virtual drug testing services, and their choice of a local pharmacy or at-home medication shipping for medications. The integrated MAT and behavioral health services will be supported by the implementation of a culturally relevant professional learning model for clinical staff, enhanced claims and insurance enrollment systems, and a partner network spanning the SUD continuum of care. By year three, the project will result in a sustainable, tested model for scaling services to additional rural areas post-grant, as well as research findings on the potential of telehealth innovations in supporting treatment adherence for rural populations.