We are very excited to share that FCCS has received a $1.5 million three-year grant to support medication for addiction treatment by establishing comprehensive, low-threshold buprenorphine services in Cortland and Madison counties. Buprenorphine is a safe and effective treatment for opioid use disorder, but only a fraction of New Yorkers who would benefit from this treatment receive it.
Historically, access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) services in Cortland and Madison counties has been difficult. There have been waitlists or barriers which have prevented people from being able to access medication for opioid use disorders when they are most willing to do so. Many residents are accessing these services in other counties (Tompkins and Onondaga) which results in other barriers and significant time commitments to accessing those services (i.e., transportation, disruption in work).
The new program has been named Rapid Opioid Assistance in Recovery (ROAR) and will begin offering low-threshold buprenorphine services in the fall of 2023. Low-threshold services are guided by the following principles:
- Same-day treatment entry
- Harm reduction approach
- Flexibility in prescribing
- Wide availability in places where people with opioid use disorder are located
Emily Georgia will lead the new ROAR team and oversee the program implementation. She is an Advanced Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC-A) with nearly a decade of experience in the Human Services field and has focused on addiction services for the past 7 years.
Grant funds will support expansion of evening coverage, community outreach and medical team availability to enhance access to services. Case Managers and Peers will be assigned to all individuals seeking or linked to services and provide regular outreach and ongoing support to individuals through telehealth, in-office and in-community contacts.
“We are excited to have been awarded funding to help us shift to being able to provide low threshold buprenorphine inductions and treatment for individuals who struggle with opioid use disorders. Same day appointments and inductions will be available. ROAR will have limited demands on the individuals in hopes that people will remain engaged and on medication to reduce the risk of overdose,” shared Amanda Stout, Regional Program Director for Cortland County.
