Submitted by Family Health Centers
Okanogan — The abuse of prescription and
non-prescription opioids is one of the greatest threats facing public health in the United States
today. Through the Washington Statewide Opioid Response Plan, the Washington State Health
Care Authority will grant Family Health Centers $1.2 million over two years to create an Opioid
Treatment Network (OTN). The OTN will expand access to medication-assisted treatment
(MAT) of opioid use disorder (OUD) and it will enhance collaboration among community
partners throughout Okanogan County in order to better serve people and families struggling
with this problem. Heroin use and misuse of “pain pills” such as oxycodone are examples of
OUD. One commonly heard example of MAT is “Suboxone”, which is the brand name of just
one of the types of MAT that are currently available.
The Opioid Treatment Network will expand access to MAT by identifying non-traditional sites for
offering this treatment while incorporating case management and collaboration among initiation
and continuation sites. While several primary care and other medical clinics in Okanogan
County currently offer MAT, this grant will enable new sites, including emergency departments
and inpatient wards at North Valley, Mid Valley and Three Rivers Hospitals, Okanogan
Behavioral Healthcare and Okanogan County Public Health, to offer MAT to those at highest
risk of opioid overdose who are currently unable or unlikely to access care in traditional settings
such as medical clinics. OTN partners will follow current evidence-based guidelines for treating
OUD, including decreasing the barriers to MAT that are often encountered by people with the
greatest need for such treatment. This “low barrier treatment” approach will expand access and
improve the quality of care of people with opioid use disorder across Okanogan County.
In addition to providing MAT prescription and monitoring services, the Opioid Treatment
Network will expand and enhance behavioral health services for opioid use disorder patients
and their families. Medications alone do not enable individuals to overcome OUD; emotional
and social support is essential to their recovery. OTN partners also acknowledge the many
social and financial factors that both contribute to the development of opioid use disorder and
directly impact recovery outcomes for those struggling with this disorder. The OTN will help
patients access resources including transportation, housing and employment assistance. As
Family Health Centers staff develop the treatment network, they seek additional members
interested in offering resources to support individuals with OUD and their families throughout the
county.
Family Health Centers medical director Dr. James Wallace states, “we are grateful for the
opportunity to work with our local partners to increase access to medication-assisted treatment
for opioid use disorder. FHC invites any community member or professional in Okanogan
County to participate in this project and join the Opioid Treatment Network.”
Building Healthier Communities- Family Health Centers
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Dana Craddock at 509-422-7629,
or email dcraddock@fhc.us.
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