USU receives large grant to help those struggling with opioid addictions
Utah State University Extension received the Opioid Impacted Family Support Grant, worth $2.3 million, to provide better training for specialists who help families in Utah affected by opioid addiction.
Professional practice extension professor, Maren Voss, said USU’s social work department has been offering training for Certified Peer Support Specialists, for years. The program trains treatment members who can offer clinical support.
“This grant takes the training opportunity to a new level,” she said. “Extension has joined the team to make CPSS training more accessible and the grant will fund apprenticeships, which means more people working as peer support specialists in our communities.”
Voss said having this grant means people and families dealing with opioid addiction will have more access to experienced professionals who can help them heal and recover.
“Studies show an increase in treatment retention and decreases in criminal justice involvement, hospitalizations, and substance use or relapse when a CPSS is part of the treatment team,” Voss said. “Increasing this peer workforce is shown to improve treatment outcomes, and we need that support from recovery experts to reduce opioid deaths in Utah.”
USU Extension has been raising awareness and knowledge of opioid harms, Voss added, which reduces stigma and increases community support.
“When they initially hired me to work on the opioid epidemic, one of the first things I heard was how important it was to have voices of recovery as part of community healing,” Voss said. “I am thrilled to be able to bring more training dollars to the state to help ensure that peer support specialists are valued members of treatment teams across Utah.”
With the grant, 365 specialists will be trained over the next four years. Voss said these specialists are chosen after going through the screening process from the Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
“Any individual who has passed the DSAMH screening is eligible for the new grant-funded training, education and apprenticeships,” Voss said.
According to Voss, the specialists will be eligible to receive a 40 hour CPSS training, a grant-supported six month internship, 12 credits of paid college coursework related to substance use disorder treatment and a grant-supported 12-month apprenticeship. The overall training includes para-professional training certification, on-the-job experience and college courses that support professional development.
Voss said USU Extension also works with the Health Education, Advocacy, Research and Teaching, HEART, initiative, ever since investing two years ago.
“The goal was to reduce opioid harms in Utah and bring more health resources to Utah counties,” she said. “My HEART faculty colleagues and I partner with local health agencies and coalitions on needs assessments, programs, and impact evaluation.”
Voss said the grant is the newest in over $4 million in funding that HEART has helped bring to Utah in the span of two years.
@harriskarcin