Boone County Community Outreach Advocacy and Recovery (COAR)

Proposal Abstract

The community included in the proposed program is Boone County, Illinois and the applicant agency’s name is “Boone, County of” and falls under category 1c. The applying department is the Boone County Health Department (BCHD). BCHD is requesting an award under the Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Use (COSSAP) grant opportunity in the amount of $778,305.

Community Outreach Advocacy and Recovery (COAR) is a community level program that coordinates interventions to provide behavioral health services in the jail and the community. The COAR program created Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in the local jail and implemented a Navigator model to provide case management services to individuals flowing through the criminal justice intercepts identified in Boone County’s Sequential Intercept Model. The COAR program is requesting funding to build upon current programming. This program proposes the following allowable activities: 1. Evidence Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment, such as Medication Assisted Treatment, 2. Embedding persons with lived experience at any intercept of the Sequential Intercept Model, and 3. Real-time and enhanced data collection.

1. The COAR program would like to enhance its current MAT program by adding a second medication option, Buprenorphine, and implement re-entry coordination planning using a quality improvement, weekly Coordination Call with local and jail providers. 2.The Navigator position, who has lived experience, will be enhanced by completing the process to become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and will lead the Coordination Calls in the jail and increase peer recovery mentors in the community. This position will also support the criminal justice system through a transition of bond reform. 3. A COAR Strategist will be hired to follow the recommendations of the JusticeCounts project and provide upkeep to the data dashboard, as well as coordinate with partners to gather health equity data. The MAT Jail program (including staff, EHR, transportation and medications) is 22% of the budget and Navigator position (including supervision and mileage) accounts for 41% of the budget. The COAR Strategist salary accounts for 19% of the budget.

The proposed program requests to receive priority consideration under 1(A) explained in the narrative on page 5 and 9 by facilitating an Equity subcommittee and collecting data on underserved populations. The program will assess programming for health equity through this subcommittee, and collaborate with partners to collect data points to show opportunities for equity in governmental processes.