Winrock International, Ozarka College and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are partnering through a USDA grant of almost $1 million to address opioid and substance abuse in North Central and Northeast Arkansas.
David Branscum, USDA’s state director, says the federal agency has prioritized programs that equip rural communities to prevent opioid abuse and access treatment and recovery resources. Branscum says, “As U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has said, the opioid epidemic knows no boundaries. It has cut through communities of all sizes and families of all socio-economic backgrounds.”
Arkansas is the second highest-ranking state in the nation for opioid prescription rates (CDC, 2018) and the Delta region is deeply affected by opioid abuse and other forms of substance abuse. The five target counties are some of the most at-risk communities in Arkansas, as indicated by incidence of non-specific drug overdose deaths, youth substance abuse and other risk factors.
Delta UPSOAR is specifically designed to serve youth and adults who have not received intensive opioid and substance abuse awareness training and education through other programs. While first responders, law enforcement and some school-age children in the region have received opioid abuse training, most of the population has not.
Linsley Kinkade, senior director of U.S. programs at Winrock International, says, “The opioid crisis is a threat to health and prosperity in Arkansas and across rural America. To grow resilient rural economies, we must address this problem.”
Kinkade says, “Many rural Americans lack access to the information and resources they need to prevent and address opioid abuse in their families and communities. Winrock is proud to partner with USDA, Ozarka College and UAMS on this innovative local response.”
Delta UPSOAR will improve understanding of opioid and substance abuse, reduce stigma that prevents treatment and increase confidence in identifying and reacting to opioid and substance abuse. Through live presentations, community events, online learning modules and hands-on overdose simulation training, Delta UPSOAR will equip residents of Baxter, Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties, to:
Recognize drug dependence among family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors or themselves Seek help for themselves or others through area treatment and counseling centers
Prevent drug exposure, dependency and overdose React and respond to an overdose
Dr. Richard Dawe, president of Ozarka College, says, “We are passionate to engage in important programs to help our friends, families and neighbors access the resources they need to reach their potential.”
Dr. Dawe says, “Our role as a primary partner in this vital program, will be to develop curriculum and deliver workshops tailored to the needs of our community and this will make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives.”
Five presentations will be delivered by Ozarka College in the region and will be live-streamed to uamspatientslearn.org, where they will remain available for download and viewing for free to the public. Ten interactive online educational modules will also be made available for free to the public on uamspatientslearn.org.
Ozarka College, in partnership with the UAMS Centers for Simulation Education, will host 40 workshops at various venues across the five target counties and 14 additional youth workshops will be hosted at 14 high schools. Program workshops will incorporate 20 hands-on, risk-free overdose simulation trainings with high-tech mannequins to train people of all ages to react and respond to an overdose.
UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D. MBA, says, “Rural health continues to be a priority of UAMS and our Institute for Digital Health & Innovation is dedicated to eliminating health disparities in rural communities.”
Dr. Patterson says, “UAMS is proud to be a partner in this effort to fight the opioid epidemic, along with our other programs such as MATRIARC and UAMS AR-IMPACT that assist health professionals who provide treatment for opioid use disorders.”
Preventive education efforts will continue in the region beyond the two-year program through ongoing use of the curriculum, online resources and overdose simulation trainings. All resources produced by Delta UPSOAR will be directly marketed to and designed for the needs of Arkansans living in the Delta.
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