Substance Abuse Treatment & Telehealth

In 2017, the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA)

Office of Rural Health awarded Lugar Center for Rural Health/Union Hospital with the Substance Abuse Telehealth Network Grant Program (SAT-TNGP). HRSA’s Office of Rural Health created the SAT-TNGP program to address the disparities found in rural areas regarding Substance Abuse treatment and referral of patients to appropriate treatment sites.

Partnering with the Lugar Center for Rural Health are four rural critical access hospitals (CAHs) in Greene, Putnam, Sullivan, and Vermillion Counties in Indiana. Union Hospital Clinton, Putnam County Hospital, Greene County General Hospital, and Sullivan County Community Hospital are members of the Wabash Valley Rural Telehealth Network, an Integrated Rural Health Network created to promote quality, innovative, and cost-effective care strategies through collaborative partnerships with multiple independent health organizations in west-central and southern Indiana, east-central Illinois, and northern Kentucky.

Union Hospital Behavioral Health, the Hamilton Center (Community Mental Health Center), and Valley Professionals Community Health Center (Federally Qualified Health Center) will screen, refer, and or treat patients at these hospitals dealing with substance use and abuse disorders. CAH patients will connect with professionals at the Hub sites who will administer a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) practice being developed in house.

Hamilton Center and Valley Professionals have established Substance Abuse treatment programs that embrace one-on-one counseling, group therapy, addictions counseling, and safe prescribing practices. Both utilize medication assisted treatment when appropriate.

Project Abstract is available here.