Southern Maine Health Care has been awarded a $200,000 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Planning grant through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. FILE PHOTO
BIDDEFORD — Southern Maine Health Care officials that they will will use a $200,000 planning grant to bring together community organizations to develop a plan to identify opportunities and gaps in opioid use disorder prevention in rural York County.
The purpose of the grant is to support treatment for and prevention of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder, in rural counties at the highest risk for substance use disorder.
“In 2016, York County recorded the highest rate of naloxone administrations of any public health district in the state and in 2017, 20 percent of overdoses and 19 percent of opioid deaths in Maine were in York County.” said Dr. Jessika Morin, Medical Director of the SMHC Integrated Medication-Assisted Treatment Program. “This grant provides funds to further address these issues affecting so many in York County and enhance the work underway through our IMAT Program.”
SMHC was named the recipient of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Planning grant through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Organizations involved include SMHC, Maine Behavioral Healthcare, Nasson Health Care, Frannie Peabody Center, Kennebunk Police Department and North East Mobile Health Services.
SMHC Development Director Chrissie Stevens said the organizations came together in the summer and found there are a number of issues affecting care, from transportation to communication and an array of others. She said the groups will partner with the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine for the analysis and develop focus groups for people in the community affected by opioid use disorder.
SMHC was one of only 95 grant awardees nationwide.
“We are very excited to be leading the way in addressing these issues in York County,” said SMHC CEO Nate Howell. “This work will build upon the strong partnership that exists today between Southern Maine Health Care, MaineHealth and Maine Behavioral Healthcare, and improve the collaboration with our project partners. We are dedicated to improving access to care in our communities and see this collaborative work as another big step in addressing these needs.”
Once the plan is in place, the entities plan to apply for implementation funds, Stevens said.
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