Wellmont Hawkins County Memorial

The overarching goals of the proposed project focus on leveraging the progress made, and success of, the previously awarded 2018 RCORP-Planning grant and current 2019 RCORP Implementation grant to strengthen and expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services for rural residents in Greene, Hancock, and Hawkins Counties in Northeast Tennessee who misuse/use psychostimulants to enhance their ability to access treatment and move toward recovery. Goals of the proposed RCORP-Psychostimulant Support (RCORP-PS) program are: • Community education via presentations to multi-generational groups and via faith-based efforts to destigmatize Substance Use Disorder (SUD) • Expansion of available substance use treatment including support for families/caregivers • Expanding the frequency and number of Peer Recovery meetings in the region • Training Certified Peer Recovery Specialists to help serve the region and increase access to SUD-related prevention, treatment, and recovery services • Creating “second chance” employment opportunities • Screenings using the Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and Treatment (SBIRT) tool • Providing harm reduction education • Assisting with Social Determinants of Health to treat the whole person and not just SUD The target population served by the proposed project includes 1) individuals who are at risk for, been diagnosed with, and/or are in treatment and/or recovery for psychostimulant use disorders; 2) their families and/or caregivers; and 3) other rural community members. Anyone needing assistance will be served, with a focus on the low-income populations that reside in the target service area who have historically suffered from poorer health outcomes and have greater health disparities than the state population; pregnant women; ethnic and racial minorities as the target service area is particularly homogenous so minorities can be extremely isolated; and people/persons experiencing homelessness. The target rural service area includes Greene, Hancock, and Hawkins Counties which are all HRSA-identified rural counties in the region of Northeast Tennessee in rural southern Appalachia (Hawkins is partially rural but service provision will occur in the rural parts of the county). The people here are an underserved population that is statistically more rural, has higher rates of unemployment, has higher rates of housing instability, has higher rates of children in poverty, and lower household incomes compared to state and national averages. People here face significant health challenges leading to high prevalence of chronic disease and premature death. The geographic isolation experienced by rural communities makes the delivery of services difficult, yet essential to ensuring the health and well-being of the populations. The RCORP-PS Consortium will utilize two Recovery Community Navigators hired with grant funds to provide hands-on navigation services for people with OUD/SUD in the target service area and assist them in accessing prevention, treatment, and recovery resources. The Recovery Community Navigators will work with each patient and with community partners to meet any additional needs such as Social Determinants of Health (i.e. food insecurity, housing instability, domestic violence concerns, transportation, utility bill assistance, etc.) The RecoveryCommunity Navigators will also provide referrals and warm hand-offs to needed services; harm reduction assistance; employment opportunities; and services directed at pregnant women, the homeless, racial and ethnic minorities, and the low-income population in the region as well as their families. The proposed program will have a “360-degree” or “whole person” approach where all the needs of each participant will seek to be met, not just the substance use issue.