$500k/Year Awarded to Expand Access to Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment

Client: Rural Health Redesign Center

Funder: Health Services and Resource Administration (Federal)

Amount: $500,000 per year (4 years)

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Overview:

In July 2022, the Health Resources and Services Administration, through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), awarded the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC) a grant for $500-thousand per year. This funded implementation of the Peer Recovery Expansion Project (PREP), an RHRC initiative aimed at improving access to treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and other behavioral health conditions across rural Pennsylvania.

How We Helped:

Alongside the RHRC team, we worked to craft a successful grant application that articulated PREP’s strategy to integrate Case Managers and Peer Recovery Specialists into hospital emergency departments and create standardized behavioral health practices. Our application emphasized measurable outcomes and community impact, helping secure funding for this multi-partner initiative.

Our team also helped with initial implementation of the project upon award, as well as provided ongoing support for grant reporting and compliance requirements. We continue to support RHRC with their grant writing and RFP needs.

Impact:

The project expands access to high-quality behavioral health services, strengthens local hospital capacity, and improves treatment for individuals with SUD and other mental health needs in rural communities. As of January 2025, PREP had 123 patient encounters and 38 treatment referrals. PREP also sponsored Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings throughout its five-county service area resulting in the training of nineteen individuals and certification of four MHFA instructors.

You can read more about the implementation of this project from the RHRC's website.

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