Cabarrus County COSSAP Program: Providing Medication Assisted Treatment and Recovery Support Services to Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder

With funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Cabarrus Health Alliance will provide comprehensive, evidence-based Medication-Assisted Treatment to fifty (50) uninsured individuals with Opioid Use Disorder residing in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, North Carolina. Parts of both counties are HRSA-designated Medically Underserved Areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas in primary, dental, and mental health care; and High-Poverty Areas with a significant number of census tracts with a poverty rate of at least 20%. The proposed service area has been disproportionately impacted by opioid abuse, and requests consideration for COSSAP-specific priority areas due to high rates of overdose death, high rates of treatment admissions, and a lack of accessibility to treatment providers.

Incorporating recommendations from CDC’s Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What’s Working in the United States, CHA’s MAT program will combine pharmacotherapy (via buprenorphine-naloxone), behavioral health treatment, voluntary access, recovery support services, and low-barrier access for participation. CHA will work with the Cabarrus County Detention Center (CCDC) to receive referrals for detainees post-release, and recruit other MAT patients through our internal Syringe Access Program and MAT program for pregnant women with OUD. CHA will link with other service providers for those MAT patients with complex behavioral health treatment needs.

A total of $900,000 is requested. With these funds, CHA will achieve the following high-level deliverables:

▪ One DATA-waivered medical provider, Peer Support Special, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker hired and trained as appropriate for their role.

▪ MOU established between the CCDC and CHA for warm handoff for in-custody individuals with OUD to the MAT program upon release. MOU established between CHA and Atrium Health Addition Services for complex behavioral health treatment.

▪ By the end of Year 3, fifty (50) uninsured adults with OUD provided comprehensive MAT

CHA COSSAP will achieve the following goals: 1) Expand the capacity of our comprehensive system of care beyond pregnant women with OUD to adults with OUD, ages 18 years and older; 2) Increase the number of individuals with OUD receiving MAT in combination with comprehensive OUD behavioral health services; and 3) Decrease fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose among participants of the MAT program. In addition, research shows that buprenorphine used to treat OUD appears to reduce suicidality and crime during treatment. Significant reductions were found for overall arrest rates with use of buprenorphine as well as for arrests for violent crime.