USD gets $2M grant for Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery
VERMILLION, S.D (KCAU) — The USD Department of Addiction Counseling & Prevention is aiming to help those who need treatment for substance use disorders with its recent $2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Brennan Thompson, director of Addiction Counseling & Prevention, and Melissa Dittberner, Ph.D., faculty, are administering the project, titled "System and Community Interventions to Prevent Incarceration and Reduce Stigma (SCIPIRS)," for a healthier South Dakota.
The duo will use the grant to expand substance use disorder treatment and recovery support in drug courts in Minnehaha County in South Dakota, according to a press release. The grant will provide prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services for those individuals with SUDs who are involved with the courts.
Treatment courts require participants to attend a variety of individual and group services and have weekly court attendance, drug testing, and meetings with probation officers.
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Thompson says he hopes this effort will promote change to improve self-restraint from substance use, housing stability, employment status, social connectedness, behavioral consequences, and reduce criminal justice involvement.
He adds, "This is an opportunity to accompany more people on their journeys, help to keep more families intact, and collaborate with our amazing community partners."
The press release also states that the grant will allow the hiring of a justice navigator to help participants navigate the court system, a medical doctor's services to provide medication-assisted treatment and holistic health screenings, and cultural experts to help review the treatment court process.
"We are excited to be able to support treatment courts in Sioux Falls with integrative care," Dittberner explained. "This funding will enable us to provide comprehensive support, addressing addiction and mental health needs through a collaborative approach, ensuring that participants receive holistic care throughout their recovery journeys.
