The CMH Addiction Recovery Program in rural Bolivar, Missouri, is an outpatient treatment program for people with substance use disorders such as opioid and alcohol use. The program is run through Butterfield Park Medical Center, a Rural Health Clinic (RHC).
The program has a family medicine physician, two nurse practitioners, a case manager, a nurse, a full-time counselor, and a peer support specialist (PSS). The RHC in Bolivar is the hub but sends a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) provider to Eldorado Springs, Hermitage, and Osceola for treatment and counseling.
Results
The program had 15 patients in the first month (January 2018) and was open two days a week. Now, the program operates 5 days a week and sees 400 patients each month.
Since the program began offering contingency management, no-show rates for appointments have decreased.
The program is partnering with law enforcement and will start offering MAT at the Polk County jail.
Challenges
When program coordinators began looking for partners and champions, some providers turned them down, saying that their communities did not have a substance use problem or that they did not want to serve patients with substance use disorder. These sentiments indicated a need for community education and stigma reduction. Now, these same providers are reaching out to the program to collaborate after seeing its successes. In addition, more individuals are inclined to seek services as treatment becomes less stigmatized.
Replication
Before implementing this program, coordinators looked at models that reduced barriers for patients, such as self-referrals, walk-in availability, and starting MAT as soon as possible (medication-first approach).
The PSS was hired using grant money to avoid any issues with RHC-specific billing requirements.
The program partners with law enforcement, OB-GYN programs, a pregnancy resource center, housing assistance, and child welfare services. In addition, the program is working with the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network, a community paramedic and community health worker program, to start offering MAT in patients’ homes.
Population of Focus: Individuals with substance use disorder
Links to Resources:
- Read more about the CMH Addiction Recovery Program
- Learn more about the services offered through CMH
- Read the book chapter, Vision for the Future: A Public Health Approach
- Learn about the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network
- Explore the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data
Date: 2024