Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) was identified by the Substance Use Prevention Alliance as an action that, when combined with other actions in our community, has a reasonable chance of making a difference in overdose rates in our community. This is an ongoing program in our community, with Haywood County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) being a new provider of MAT.

Current MAT interventions are effective and MAT is the standard of care for treating opioid use disorders.  In Haywood County, 10 organizations offer MAT, including HHSA (NC Harm Reduction Coalition, 2020).   The HHSA provider prescribes Suboxone to eligible individuals.  

The priority population/customers for the HHSA MAT program are women being released from the Haywood County Detention Center.  MAT aims to make a difference at the individual and organizational levels. Implementation will take place in the HHSA public health services clinic.  

This strategy addresses health disparities by serving individuals who are at increased risk of suffering from communicable diseases, dying prematurely, and who lack insurance coverage to receive substance use treatment.  

2020 Update:

During the program's first year, over 20 individuals received MAT through the HHSA (HHSA, 2020).  While the program initially served women, it has expanded to serve men as well.  Each patient receives a naloxone kit (opioid overdose reversal medication) and medication lock box.  They are also encouraged to schedule a counseling appointment through Meridian Behavioral Health Services (MBHS).  The program is currently available at no cost due to grant funding through the Haywood Healthcare Foundation.  Partnering organizations include the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, HHSA, and MBHS.  

The partners for MAT include:

Evaluation Plan:

We plan to evaluate the impact of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) through the use of Results-Based AccountabilityTM to monitor specific performance measures. We will be monitoring How Much, How Well and/or Better Off Performance Measures.  Our evaluation activities will be tracked in the Work Plan table, above. 

Sustainability Plan:

The following is our sustainability plan for MAT: 

• Sustainability Components:
  • We will monitor program performance by tracking the number of women who receive MAT.  This will demonstrate both program success and need to funders.  
  • On a monthly basis, program need will be demonstrated by tracking the number of emergency department visits due to opioid overdoses.