Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The overarching goals of this proposal are: i) to reduce/prevent opioid overdose-related deaths by increasing knowledge and self-efficacy at the individual level, and ii) to strengthen the local capacity to address the opioid epidemic in rural population living in Caroline, Dorchester, Garret, Talbot and Kent County, and strengthen the community partnerships/collaborations. We targeted residents of the 5 counties with evidence-informed Extension programs including MHFA, Opioid Public Health Crisis, Regrounding our Response, GenerationRx, and This is Not About Drugs (TINAD). Changes/Problems:Staffing loss and turnover was a challenge. Halfway through project implementation, a key staff member resigned. A couple of months later, a graduate student who had played a project management role graduated and moved on from the project. With the faculty member's resignation, the project's connections to one of the RHSE-eligible counties in Western Maryland were diminished. Furthermore, the reduction in overall FTEs available to the project made it impossible to develop and conduct the full battery of surveys that were originally planned (e.g., follow-up surveys). COVID remained a challenge for the project given competing priorities of some community partners, especially the public school system. We were well below our target number of public school educators trained in the Botvin Lifeskills program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The main goal of this project was training and professional development, which is summarized in the accomplishments section. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results are disseminated to the community via semi-annual partners meetings. The community partners who participated in our programs were invited to review the accomplishments of the program so far and offer guidance on priorities for the next 6 months of the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Accomplishments What is the issue your project addresses? Our project aimed to enhance the capacity of rural communities in Maryland to respond to the effects of the opioid crisis. We aimed to provide training and technical assistance to these communities in order to increase resilience. Who will be most immediately helped? We targeted a variety of public and professional audiences. Professional audiences including health departments, substance use recovery organizations, peer recovery specialists, medical facilities, and public / private school students and staff. Major Activities Completed Extension Education Offered: Opioid Public Health Crisis - 16 classes reaching 102 participants Overdose Lifeline Workshops - 10 classes reaching 129 participants Stigma Reduction - 4 classes reaching 29 participants Generation Rx - 3 classes reaching 24 participants ROR - 39 Classes reaching 387 participants Farm Stress - 5 classes reaching 53 participants Info Sessions - 2 classes reaching 39 participants Mental Health First Aid - 30 classes reaching 326 participants TINAD - 3 classes reaching 127 participants Total: 1,216 (121% of Proposed Goal) Summary Statistics and Discussion of Results We utilized the Qualtrics online survey platform to collect post-program evaluation data. We received approximately 625 responses across all of the educational programs we offered. A summary of the results is below organized by objective: Objective 1.1: Increase knowledge, self-efficacy, and intention to change behaviors on how to prevent and reduce opioid misuse and overdose risk · 82% had an increase in mental health knowledge · 56% reported an increase in intent to help others with mental health issues Report reduced level of stigma 100% report an awareness that stigma is spread in many different ways within society (i.e., through language, behaviors, attitudes, policy, access, coverage, etc.) 39% of participants reported they are less concerned about the potential negative impact of seeking professional help after attending the session Improved awareness of opioid misuse 93% report an awareness that addiction/substance use disorder is a chronic disease that can be compared to other chronic diseases Improved understanding of the consequences of risk behaviors 92% of participants reported an understanding that recovery takes a lot of time, effort, and multiple attempts Reported intent to seek mental health care or treatment and recovery services 72% reported they would use the knowledge gained in the course to seek mental health treatment as soon as possible 72% reported they would use the knowledge gained in the course to look into what their health plan will or will not cover before receiving healthcare service Youth Participants (TINAD): 80% of youth curriculum participants reported an increase in knowledge and understanding of opioid misuse, addiction, resources, etc. Objective 1.2: Increase knowledge and self-efficacy in rural residents of how to access mental and behavioral care and what services are available in the area. Increased knowledge of how to access care, including the use of telehealth 85% reported feeling knowledgeable about how to find and set up an appointment with a mental health professional, a 7% increase from before attending the session 83% reported an awareness of the different types of mental health professionals and services 71% reported knowledge on how to find what their health insurance plan covers for mental health services before setting up an appointment Increased self-efficacy in care and help-seeking behavior 89% reported they would use the knowledge gained in the course to help arrange professional help for a friend or loved one Increased intention on care and help-seeking behaviors 72% reported they would use the knowledge gained in the course to seek mental health treatment as soon as possible 72% reported they would use the knowledge gained in the course to look into what their health plan will or will not cover before receiving healthcare services Increased positive attitudes on care and help-seeking behaviors 94% reported that they would feel okay about themselves if they made the choice to seek professional help 83% reported they would not be less satisfied with themselves if they went to a therapist Increased knowledge of how to access opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery resources 78% of participants reported a clear understanding that MAT is an effective treatment for OUD without any counseling
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Yoo, J. H., Chan, A. E., Hutter-Thomas, S., Lukulay, M., Kim, A., Lucero, A., Hurtado Choque,
G. A., & Kim, J. (2023). Mental Health First Aid training in rural Maryland during the
COVID-19 pandemic: Program implementation through virtual delivery. Journal of
Human Sciences & Extension, 11(2), 13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55533/2325-5226.1412 .
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The efforts of the reporting period 09/01/2021-08/31/2022 were focused upon individuals and community groups residing in the five most rural counties in Maryland, including Caroline, Dorchester, Garret, Kent and Talbot counties. Rural residents are the target audience of this project due to the significant impact of the opioid epidemic in such areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, as rural residents have been found to experience greater social isolation, reduced access to care, economic distress, among other concerns. The ongoing opioid epidemic and current COVID-19 pandemic have emphasized the need to strengthen the capacity of rural communities to prevent opioid misuse and maintain mental health. In order to reach these individuals, all program activities were adapted to a virtual setting in order to accommodate to COVID-19 restrictions. Public activities were open to all individuals residing in the five targeted counties. Private sessions were also offered exclusively for members of community organizations in the counties, such as public libraries, faith communities, and local businesses. Changes/Problems:One challenge to meeting our capacity-building goals has been public school teachers' burnout and staffing challenges. Many school systems, in rural settings in particular, continue to deal with the evolving challenges of the pandemic, including widespread teacher shortages. With fewer teachers at work, this leaves little capacity for teachers to spend their own time learning a new curriculum such as Botvin Lifeskills. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Attending educational sessions allows participants the opportunity to gain critical knowledge regarding mental health and opioid use. It also allows participants to connect with other participants of the event, who are professionals and members of their communities. Professional development has been a major success of this program, as 94.6% of respondents of the evaluation survey indicated they expected the event would benefit their professional development and/or practice. Additionally, partners meetings hosted once a quarter provided the opportunity for community members and stakeholders to collaborate and build professional connections. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach activities took many forms, including via the Maryland ROTA website, social media pages, and bi-monthly e-newsletter. Our Instagram account had 3,913 total impressions, Facebook had 3,855 page reaches, and YouTube had 99 total views. During this reporting period, our contacts of the newsletter increased by 185%, from 1,274 to 3,868 contacts. Hosting quarterly partners meetings also provided the opportunity for program updates to be shared within the counties. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools were overwhelmed and did not have the capacity to deliver youth programming during this reporting period. Hence, youth participants were not reached. During the next reporting period, we are committed to continuing outreach to school teachers and other youth development professionals in effort to deliver programming to 100 youth participants. The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, including worker burnout and the inability to meet in-person, have also impacted the offerings of train-the-trainer programs. Over the next year, we are commited to continuing outreach to community members who are interested in Botvin LifeSkills or MHFA training. We aim to offer training for 24 Botvin LifeSkills instructors and 30 MHFA instructors. We will continue to offer prevention curricula to members of the five targeted communities. Pending COVID-19 restrictions, educational sessions will be offered in an in-person format when preferred.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2019, Maryland experienced the fourth-highest rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in the nation. Rural residents are particularly of concern, as they have been found to be twice as likely to overdose on opioids compared to urban residents. The aim of this project is to increase the individual and local capacity of residents in the five most rural counties in Maryland to address the opioid epidemic. These counties include Garrett, Dorchester, Kent, Caroline and Talbot counties. Regarding Goal 1, major activities completed include the deliverance of prevention curricula and information sessions to members of the target communities. A total of 33 educational sessions were conducted, which reached 321 adult participants. The breakdown of course offerings include 16 Mental Health First aid events (80% of total year 2 goal), 12 Overdose Lifeline and Regrounding Our Response events (48% of total year 2 goal), 4 Farm Stress Management events (80% of total year 2 goal), and 1 Mind Body Skills event (20% of total year 2 goal). Additionally, information was shared during four community events (80% of total year 2 goal), which reached 337 attendees (337% of total year 2 goal). Evaluation data was collected from participants of these events via Qualtrics surveys. Among those who responded to the survey, 91.9% reported they were satisfied with the overall quality of the event, 94.6% expected the event to benefit their professional development and practice, 83.4% expected to use the information gained from the event, and 94.6% indicated that they would recommend these events to a colleague. These results suggest that participants were highly satisfied with their experience and learned relevant information that is expected to be used in the future. Regarding Goal 2, major activities include the establishment of over 20 partnerships with organizations in the five target counties. Several of these organizations sponsored educational sessions for their staff during the reporting period. Additionally, four partners meetings were hosted, one per quarter, which allowed the team to share upcoming events and program related updates. These meetings also provided the opportunity for partners to share updates from their organizations. Additionally, these collaborations allowed team members to share information regarding train-the-trainer sessions with interested community members.
Publications
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