Mountain Top Cares Coalition Inc

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE (PLANNING) - MOUNTAIN TOP CARES COALITION (MCC) PROPOSES A RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM (RCORP)-PLANNING PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN THE SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) SERVICE SYSTEM IN GREENE COUNTY, NEW YORK, A FULLY RURAL COUNTY IN NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND OPIOID-RELATED IMPACTS, INCLUDING HIGH MENTAL HEALTH DISTRESS, SUBSTANCE USE NEEDS, AND FRAGMENTED ACCESS TO COORDINATED CARE. THE PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH A STRUCTURED, SUSTAINABLE PLANNING NETWORK LED BY A SMALL CORE GROUP OF CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION, AND DECISION-MAKING. THIS CORE NETWORK WILL BE EXPANDED THROUGH ENGAGEMENT OF DIVERSE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS REPRESENTING MULTIPLE SECTORS AND LIVED EXPERIENCE, WHO WILL ACTIVELY INFORM THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGIC ACTION PLANNING PROCESS. THIS MODEL ENSURES BOTH OPERATIONAL STABILITY AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY VOICE IN SYSTEM PLANNING. MCC WILL CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE SUD NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ASSET MAPPING TO IDENTIFY GAPS ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, INCLUDING PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY SUPPORTS, AND SERVICE COORDINATION. PARTICULAR ATTENTION WILL BE GIVEN TO OPIOID USE DISORDER (OUD), CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS, LIMITED ACCESS TO EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORTS, RECOVERY HOUSING SHORTAGES, STIGMA-RELATED BARRIERS, AND CHALLENGES UNIQUE TO RURAL SERVICE DELIVERY. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL PRODUCE A DATA-DRIVEN STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN THAT IDENTIFIES PRIORITY NEEDS, IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES, MEASURABLE OUTCOMES, AND ROLES ACROSS PARTNERS. MCC WILL ALSO ESTABLISH FOUNDATIONAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES, COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS, AND DEFINED ROLES TO SUPPORT ONGOING COLLABORATION BEYOND THE PLANNING PERIOD AND STRENGTHEN READINESS FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING. THE EXPECTED OUTCOME IS A COMPREHENSIVE, COMMUNITY-INFORMED SUD STRATEGIC PLAN SUPPORTED BY A COORDINATED AND SUSTAINABLE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS WILL POSITION GREENE COUNTY TO PURSUE RCORP-IMPLEMENTATION AND OTHER FUNDING SOURCES WHILE IMPROVING ALIGNMENT ACROSS PREVENTION, TREATMENT, RECOVERY, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. ULTIMATELY, THIS PROJECT WILL ESTABLISH THE FOUNDATION FOR A MORE COORDINATED, DATA-DRIVEN RURAL SUD SYSTEM THAT IMPROVES ACCESS AND OUTCOMES FOR GREENE COUNTY RESIDENTS IMPACTED BY OPIOID AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.