Region 7 Networking Center for Rural Opioid Technical Assistance and Training
Region 7 communities are experiencing significant opioid- and other stimulant-related morbidity and mortality: yet, the availability of evidence-based prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery resources are not meeting the demand in these communities. The Region 7 Networking Center for Rural Opioid Technical Assistance and Training will adopt a capacity building, networking framework for training and technical assistance (T/TA) grounded in scientific literature and incorporating the adaptation of an evidence-based partnership delivery system. This system will take advantage of existing T/TA infrastructures and resources; it will foster the development and dissemination of well-coordinated, science-driven T/TA). By 2024, the Region 7 Center will apply existing behavioral health infrastructures designed to link resource providers with land grant university outreach systems, in order to reach 30,000 visitors to a clearinghouse of resources, 500,000 individuals with awareness messages, and more than 5,000 individuals through training to enhance capacity for addressing opioid and stimulant-related issues across the continuum of care in Region 7. This project addresses priority gaps and state-identified needs in rural counties in Iowa (78), Kansas (86), Missouri (81), and Nebraska (80). Region 7 rural communities continue to face multi-faceted issues associated with the opioid crisis, stimulant misuse, along with mental and behavioral health and wellness. Additionally, rural areas in Region 7 struggle with stigma, limited skilled workforce capacity, inadequate transportation, economic limitations, and several specific mental health conditions (e.g., major depressive episodes and suicidal ideation). While services across the continuum of care in Region 7 have increased, these services often continue to lack coordination, accessibility, and long-term sustainability for various reasons, including funding issues and employee turnover. The Region 7 Networking Center will use an adaptation of the PROSPER Delivery System and a consensus-based capacity–building framework, with a focus on its three-tiered technical assistance system that (1) links university and other experts with coordinators who collaborate with Extension and other local systems to deliver training and technical assistance where it is most needed, and (2) applies its evaluation and monitoring system designed to tailor technical assistance. The Partnership in Prevention Science Institute (PPSI) at Iowa State University and The University of Missouri’s Community Health Engagement and Outreach (CHEO) will form a Region 7 Networking Center ‘Hub’ that links State Behavioral Health Coordinators in each of the four Region 7 states. Each Hub partner has “specializations” in complementary domains of T/TA; with PPSI focusing on the domains of promotion, prevention, and treatment, and CHEO focusing on harm reduction and recovery. A ROTA-R Partner Advisory Committee will guide the Hub’s coordination efforts. The four state-based Behavioral Health Coordinators will facilitate a linking-agent model in their respective states (e.g., connecting T/TA resources to specific populations that have special needs identified through their state-level needs assessments).
Primary project goals and objectives include:
- identifying and prioritizing needs of Region 7 rural communities
- increasing the capacity of the Region 7 Networking Center to address opioid- and stimulant-related training and technical assistance
- increasing access to opioid- and stimulant-related training, technical assistance, and resources across the continuum of care and diverse audiences including service providers, community stakeholders, and citizens.
Principal Investigator: Greg Pliler
Co-Principal Investigator: Richard Spoth
Funder: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)