Rural Community Opioid Response Program Implementation Grant Awarded to Assist Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Madison, and Jefferson Counties

St. James Healthcare was awarded a $1,000,000 grant from the Health Resources Services Administration’s Federal Office for Rural Communities Opioid Response Programs (RCORP) to conduct needs assessments and develop plans, including prevention, treatment, and recovery interventions for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

St. James Healthcare will work in close partnership with the Montana Hospital Association, Montana Chemical Dependency Center, Montana’s Peer Network, Butte-Silver Bow Health Department and Sheriff Department, Southwest Montana Community Health Center, AWARE Inc, Community Counseling and Correctional Services, and Action Inc. to support prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance use disorders (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD).

“These partnerships will allow us to work with both existing and new partners to build an approach to addressing prevention, treatment, and recovery for opioid use disorder in a fashion that will help our community members in southwest Montana, “said Jay Doyle, President of St. James Healthcare.

The overall goal of the program is to reduce opioid-related mortality and morbidity through a coordinated, multi-sector response that strengthens and expands SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services to enhance pregnant and parenting women’s and rural residents’ ability to access treatment and move toward recovery in Silver Bow, Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Madison, and Jefferson counties in southwest Montana.

“Substance use disorder is one of the most complex health challenges in our state,” said Shani Rich, Executive Director for the Montana Health Research and Education Foundation. “St. James’ multi-sector approach harnesses the collective strength of local healthcare providers, social services agencies, and local government needed to effectively tackle this issue for southwest Montana.”

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,000,000 with 0 percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

St. James Healthcare is the largest and only acute care health care facility in southwest Montana. Serving the region for more than 135 years, St. James Healthcare is a 67-bed hospital located in Butte, Montana. St. James Healthcare has more than 450 associates, alongside 100 physicians and advanced care professionals, offering 24-hour care and dozens of progressive specialty services. St. James is part of SCL Health, a nonprofit faith-based health system with 12 hospitals in Colorado and Montana. Together St. James Healthcare, St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, and Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City, represent SCL Health Montana. To learn more about St. James Healthcare, visit http://www.sjh-mt.org.