SEARHC Tribal Opioid Response Program FY2024 - 2029 - SEARHC offers evidence-based, best practices for the treatment of opioid use disorders at our Front Street and Lemon Creek Clinics in Juneau, Alaska. The SEARHC Opioid Treatment Programs are federally certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Drug Enforcement Administration, State of Alaska Board of Pharmacy and Department of Health and Social Services Division of the Behavioral Health State Opioid Treatment Authority. We recognize that opioid use disorder is different for every person. Research has shown that a combination of medication and behavior therapy is the most effective recovery approach. The type of medication is different for every person depending on their situation. The two medications we utilize for opioid use disorder include Buprenorphine and Methadone; the purpose of these is to suppress or reduce cravings for opioids and minimize discomfort and symptoms associated with withdrawal. The SEARHC Outpatient Addiction Services Program also provides daily access to individual, group and family services, comprehensive addiction services and support services to meet each individual’s needs. SEARHC partners with Sonara for our virtual dosing program for opioid treatment. Sonara is a HIPAA compliant, digital health solution that uses a web-based application to support patients who administer methadone at home. Patients scan a patented tamper aware label and are prompted to record a video of themselves taking their medication at home, versus requiring daily travel to a treatment center. The asynchronous video is available for the care team to review, which enables supervision of at-home administration. Remote observation provides a daily touchpoint for our Opioid Treatment Programs to enhance trust with patients, engage in more timely interventions and retain patients in treatment. SEARHC's TOR program will expand to offer OTP services to all those in need of our OTP services along with working to establish a new OTP site in Ketchikan, Alaska. Our TOR program will assist in addressing the overdose crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD), and supporting the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring substance use disorders, and stimulant misuse and use disorders, including those involving cocaine and methamphetamine. SEARHC's program also supports the National Tribal Behavioral Health Agenda’s (TBHA) Cultural Wisdom Declaration (CWD) and inclusion of ancestral cultural knowledge, wisdom, ceremony, and practices of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes into every aspect of treatment and recovery.
