Augusta University Research Institute, Inc.

The Access to Services for Pregnant and Postpartum Persons in Northeast Georgia (ASPiriNG) project provides a comprehensive family-oriented approach to reduce the incidence and impact of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in twelve rural counties in Northeast Georgia by improving preventive services for persons of childbearing age with or at risk of SUD/OUD and provision of comprehensive family-oriented ongoing behavioral healthcare needs and support services for rural pregnant and post-partum persons and their families. These twelve counties are among the most underserved in the state in terms of access to healthcare services, particularly access to primary care and behavioral health services. The rate of NAS in our target service area is almost three times the state's overall rate. Compared to the state average, the majority of target counties have higher rates of fatal and nonfatal overdose rates among women of childbearing age and opioid-related emergency room inpatient visits. Our consortium includes Augusta University's (AU) Department of Population Health Sciences, AU's Georgia Cancer Center, AU's Institute of Public and Preventive Health, MedLink Georgia FQHC, the Georgia Council for Recovery, Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Reboot Jackson RCO, Self-Discovery 24 RCO, Mountain Judicial and Piedmont Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts, the Georgia Department of Public Health District 2, Habersham Medical Center, and Union General Hospital. We address the program objectives and specific service needs through provider and community-based education/training, improvement of linkages between systems of care, reducing barriers to treatment, and expansion of services within the target service area to include medication-assisted treatment and peer/recovery support services.