Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
PAOLI – An Orange County healthcare provider was awarded a $1.25 million grant from Indiana University Health to expand Orange County’s Recovery Network to treat addiction and substance use disorders. The project also includes training for behavioral health workers.
Southern Indiana Community Health Care will receive the grant over three years. The grant will also fund work being done by Safe Haven Recovery Engagement Center, a Regional Recovery Hub supporting recovery from SUD, Thrive Orange County, a coalition to raise awareness about Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Team OC, a youth mentoring program.
SICHC will partner with Safe Haven Recovery Engagement Center to start intensive outpatient services in an expanded facility in Paoli; it will be the first of its kind in the county.
Katarina Koch, director of grants and special projects for SICHC, said for a rural community to have an intensive outpatient program “is a big deal” not just for improving access and care, but also to promote an environment where recovery is possible.
Another component of the grant is a recovery house to aid those coming out of treatment with a supportive recovery living environment. Koch said it will be modeled after other successful recovery house programs in the state.
“We’re so grateful to IU Health Foundation for investing in us,” Koch said.
Similar to other areas, substance abuse, addiction and other negative behaviors have become an issue for the local workforce, Koch said.
By offering treatment and recovery services following treatment, this grant will support the workforce for those in need and help raise workforce potential, she said.
“We know it’s an epidemic affecting everybody,” Koch said. “By supporting recovery, we’re supporting the workforce of the entire community.”
SICHC’s grant will also address a shortage of licensed clinical social workers, which is especially felt in rural areas.
Addressing social needs
SICHC’s grant was part of a larger effort by IU Health to fund health programs.
IU Health awarded $9.5 million in total funding to support community organizations across the state. In announcing the grants last month, the health system said the goal is to help meet “pressing social and health needs facing children and adults.”
The funding comes from IU Health’s Community Impact Investment Fund, which is administered by the IU Health Foundation.
The $200 million fund awards grants each year to address social and environmental factors that “heavily affect people’s health outcomes.” To date, more than $20 million in grants have been awarded.
“In response to growing needs in Indiana, IU Health doubled the size of its Community Impact Investment Fund in the past year. That has allowed us to significantly increase grants aimed at making Indiana a healthier place to live,” IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy said in a news release.
About Safe Haven
From its office in West Baden, Safe Haven REC serves nine counties in southern Indiana. Founded in 2018, Safe Haven serves people seeking or in recovery from SUD as a Regional Recovery Hub, offering peer support services, harm reduction supplies, social services such as employment assistance, peer support meetings, and transportation. They have a staff of three certified peer recovery coaches and two transportation drivers to serve those in need of services. Safe Haven continues to offer all resources and support free of charge, removing all barriers to care.
About Southern Indiana Community Health Care
Well-known as a high-impact health care provider committed to continuity of care, the nonprofit Southern Indiana Community Health Care organization is committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive, community-sensitive health care utilizing Christ-centered principles to medically underserved, rural communities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Southern Indiana Community Health Care serves as a “safety net” provider for vulnerable populations and focuses on increasing access to primary care services for Medicaid and Medicare patients in rural communities. SICHC offers medical care in medically underserved areas of Crawford, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington counties. Southern Indiana Community Health is a member of the National Health Services Corps and receives program funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SICHC offers services to all persons, regardless of the person’s ability to pay. For more information, visit https://sichc.org/