Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, May 8, 2024 – Be Well Texas, a statewide substance use treatment initiative of UT Health San Antonio, will host its second annual Community Wellness Fair on Saturday, May 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Mission County Park 1 in San Antonio.
The free, family-friendly event will offer a variety of wellness activities, local resources, services and information to enhance the community’s health and well-being. State Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Campos, District 119, will be the featured guest speaker.
Campos, as well as Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, vice president for research at UT Health San Antonio and executive director of Be Well Texas; and Tara Karns-Wright, PhD, MS, senior director of Be Well Texas, will be available for interviews. Daniela Olmos, project manager at Be Well Texas, can provide Spanish-language interviews from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. the day of the event.
“By attending this event, our community can gain a deeper understanding of the impact substance use has on health, quality of life and relationships,” Karns-Wright said. “Be Well Texas will provide resources, and our staff will be on hand to answer questions and offer support. The whole community is invited, especially people dealing with substance use or mental health conditions.”
Mission County Park 1 is located at 6030 Padre Drive in San Antonio, 78214.
Scheduled Activities and Entertainment
11:30 a.m. – Welcome ceremony, Jennifer Sharpe Potter
11:40 a.m. – Guest speaker, State Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Campos
Noon – Zumba, sponsored by instructor Robyn Tate
1 p.m. – HIIT workout, sponsored by AlfaFitness
2 p.m. – Group meditation, sponsored by BioThrive Wellness
2:30 p.m. – Door prizes
All-Day Activities
• Local community and wellness organizations with resources and information
• Pet therapy by Therapy Animals of San Antonio
• Food distribution by San Antonio Food Bank
• Overdose reversal training and naloxone (Narcan®) distribution
• Hygiene kit distribution
• Live music
Free Medical Screenings
• Substance use screenings by Be Well Texas
• Wellness health checks by UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
• Vision screenings by Lions Sight Research Foundation
• HIV and STI testing by Alamo Area Resource Center
• Diabetic screenings by District 2-A2 Lions Clubs
All activities and screenings provided at no charge.
Be Well Texas expands access to compassionate, evidence-based treatment for people who use substances and those with a substance use disorder.
It is part of UT Health San Antonio, a premier academic research center whose mission is to make lives better through excellence in education, research, health care and community engagement.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health have graduated more than 42,550 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Pioneering initiative advances research, treatment, recovery support and education
Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, April 3, 2024 – The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is establishing the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders, a pioneering initiative dedicated to advancing research, education and evidence-based treatments.
The new institute includes the current Be Well Texas initiative of UT Health San Antonio as part of a new overall comprehensive center of excellence with national scope for research, clinical and public health programs, as well as education and community engagement to advance the field addressing addiction and related conditions.
The goal of the Be Well Institute is to be a nationally premiere substance use and addiction institute for clinical care and research to advance the understanding of substance use.
The institute will support grants and contracts, partner with organizational entities at UT Health San Antonio whose activities are relevant to these priorities and provide person-centered, interprofessional and comprehensive care. It also will launch clinical and translational research programs to significantly advance the understanding of substance use to scientific discovery and into daily practice more quickly to improve health and reduce sickness and death.
“This institute will lead transformational change in addressing substance use and substance use disorders throughout Texas and the nation,” said Robert A. Hromas, MD, FACP, acting president of UT Health San Antonio.
“We support the discovery, development and implementation of new treatments, or more effective use of current treatments, and this important effort will facilitate the recruitment of outstanding scientists and clinicians to UT Health San Antonio,” he said, “accelerating collaboration among scientists, educators and clinicians to discover, validate and implement new treatments, and serve as a vehicle for partnerships among stakeholders in the community to include scientists, providers and policymakers.”
UT Health San Antonio is the largest academic research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $413 million. Spearheaded by Be Well Texas founding director Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, vice president for research at UT Health San Antonio, the new institute marks a significant milestone in UT Health San Antonio’s commitment to addressing the complex challenges posed by substance use.
It will provide compassionate and transformational care of people who use substances and those with substance use disorder (SUD) – or co-occurring mental health disorders – through innovative research, local networks and engagement, thereby removing stigma and supporting recovery for patients, their families and communities.
A highly integrated, collaborative center
With more than $50 million in National Institutes of Health, state and other federal funding annually, the Be Well Institute will work as a highly integrated and collaborative center across the university and represent a comprehensive framework and programming for advancing the understanding and treatment of substance use disorders.
Through a diverse array of statewide initiatives, including the Be Well Provider Network, the Be Well Clinic, the Center for Substance Use Training and Telementoring, and the Texas Substance Use Symposium, the institute seeks to expand access to services and support for Texans and beyond.
With support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network and other federal funding, the institute includes research, medical interventions and evidence-based treatments, psychological therapies, social and peer support, counseling on lifestyle changes, follow-up care, provider training and education, and many community outreach and educational initiatives.
Substance use is a significant public health problem that includes several challenges, from the illicit use of substances that have been available for centuries, such as opioids, to drugs that have appeared more recently, like synthetic cannabinoids. Substance use and other mental health disorders worsened significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Substance use among many mentally ill patients also increased during that time as many sought to self-medicate.
Although opioids are most prominent in news headlines, the most problematic drugs of abuse in some regions of the United States, including South Texas, are not opioids, but alcohol, marijuana and stimulants like methamphetamine. Alcohol use is a major contributor to morbidity, including cancer, and mortality. The rate of alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. doubled from 1999 to 2017.
There currently are no FDA-approved medications for treating substance use disorder outside of opioids and alcohol. Thus, the exploding use of stimulants and marijuana represents a vast unmet medical need.
The worsening overdose epidemic exemplifies the desperate need to improve prevention and treatment of SUD through research and programmatic efforts. An unprecedented 107,000 Americans died in 2022 from drug overdose, the highest rate ever recorded.
Often lost in the national discussion of this medical crisis is the fact that this dramatic increase in opioid use and overdose occurred despite the availability of FDA-approved medications that are effective in many patients: methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone for opioid use disorder (OUD) and naloxone for opioid overdose. Discovering and advancing new and innovative approaches for treating opioid overdose and OUD is a critically important endeavor.
Investigators at UT Health San Antonio are conducting state-of-the-art research exploring novel approaches for understanding SUD that will uncover new targets and new methods for treatment.
Similarly, UT Health San Antonio faculty are at the forefront of addressing SUD statewide, including establishing statewide treatment networks, workforce development initiatives and distribution of life-saving naloxone to traditional and non-traditional first responders. Collectively, what is available at UT Health San Antonio is unique in Texas and ready to be expanded nationally.
About Jennifer Sharpe Potter
As a nationally recognized public health scientist and practitioner, Potter leads the state in groundbreaking research and treatment aimed at mitigating addiction, substance use disorders and related disorders. Her expertise spans the development, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices to support individuals grappling with substance use disorders.
In her role as vice president for research at UT Health San Antonio, Potter provides strategic oversight over the institution’s research initiatives, ensuring the university’s continued pursuit of excellence in scientific inquiry and innovation. Her leadership also extends to pivotal roles as principal investigator of UT Health San Antonio’s Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN), underscoring her commitment to advancing the frontiers of substance use research.
Prior to joining UT Health San Antonio, Potter was with Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia and her Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.
“The launch of the Be Well Institute heralds a new era of collaboration and innovation in the field of substance use research and care,” Potter said, “and stakeholders from across the academic, health care and public sectors are encouraged to join us in this vital endeavor as we strive to improve the lives of individuals and communities affected by substance use disorders.”
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health have graduated more than 42,550 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
The UT Health San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine is listed among U.S. News & World Report’s best medical schools, ranking in the top 30% nationwide for research. To learn more, visit https://uthscsa.edu/medicine/.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Telehealth, community providers, research all key components of care
Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, April 20, 2023 – In Texas, one in 10 people have a substance use disorder, and not everyone has the same access to care. One statewide program is addressing this growing public health concern with a fresh approach of science, innovation and a team of people with lived experience in recovery.
Be Well Texas, a program offering treatment and recovery support for substance use and mental health, is celebrating the grand opening of its new 20,000-square-foot facility that provides for comprehensive services anywhere in the state, regardless of ability to pay. The center also conducts research and provides education and training for providers.
“We started these programs to provide equitable access to compassionate, evidence-based programs for substance use disorder and people who are using substances,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, executive director of Be Well Texas. “Evidence-based treatment means treatment with the best possibility of success because we know from science that it works.”
Be Well Texas is bringing addiction medicine specialists, behavioral health experts, researchers and several staff members with lived experience in addiction recovery together at this new location to collaborate statewide and expand access to care. The new location includes in-person and telehealth clinical space, a research laboratory, a tele-mentoring studio, administrative offices, a spacious waiting area and other features.
“So, through a combination of community-based providers, our own virtual clinic that serves the state, and a variety of programs and a lot of hard work, we're able to provide these services throughout Texas,” said Potter, who also is vice president of research and professor of psychiatry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).
State-supported Be Well Texas is a program of UT Health San Antonio.
“We have a team of providers, clinicians, nursing staff, case management, recovery support services – a wide array of services that can help an individual no matter where they are in their journey,” said Briseida “Bee” Courtois, MSSW, LCDC, CMA, director of substance use services for Be Well Texas.
Overall, in addition to its in-person and statewide telehealth clinical operation, Be Well Texas coordinates a network of approximately 140 community providers treating for opioid and other substance use, and providing recovery support services – from Dallas-Fort Worth to Corpus Christi, Houston to El Paso, Lubbock to Austin, and points beyond.
In recovery support services, team members have lived experience with substance use or mental health conditions, or both, now providing critical peer-level support.
“I’ve experienced incarceration, I’ve experienced homelessness, I’ve experienced challenges with substance use and mental health, and how to overcome those things,” said Richard Hamner, LMSW, LCDC-I, RSPS, program manager of recovery support services for Be Well Texas. “So we use that experience along with our education and training to help build the resources that individuals need to improve their lives.”
And in research, Be Well Texas is conducting cutting-edge trials to find new treatments for substance use disorders, including for cocaine-use and methamphetamine-use disorders. Plus, the program is conducting two clinical trials for medications that could help individuals curb their withdrawal symptoms from cannabis use.
“The mission of Be Well Texas research is to leverage our science in order to address gaps in treatment for opioid-use and other substance use disorders, and ultimately to improve the lives of people in Texas,” said Tara Karns-Wright, PhD, senior director of Be Well Texas.
The new facility is located at 5109 Medical Drive, fourth floor, in San Antonio, 78229. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 888-85-BeWell (888-852-3935), or visit the Be Well Texas website at https://bewelltexas.org/.
Be Well Texas is working to provide access to high-quality, low-barrier, evidence-based care throughout Texas. A statewide program of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), Be Well Texas provides services to people who use substances and with a substance use disorder through a broad continuum of clinical, research and training services. This includes facilitating a network of state-funded addiction treatment providers, serving as a node for the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, operating a statewide telehealth clinic for the treatment of substance-use disorders and managing a statewide tele-mentoring and training center. Like us on social: @bewelltexas. Learn more: https://bewelltexas.org/.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 41,100 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Boosting access to more than 40 houses, 440 beds statewide
Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, March 21, 2023 – Young adults in Texas with a substance use disorder often face housing insecurity, marked by unstable or inadequate living arrangements without support for long-term recovery from addiction.
Be Well Texas, a program of UT Health San Antonio that treats patients statewide for opioid and other substance use disorders by partnering with organizations and building a network across Texas, has been awarded a three-year, $3.4 million grant for a pilot program to support recovery housing statewide for emerging adults ages 18 to 25 undergoing treatment and recovery.
The grant funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will help expand access to 16 existing housing providers with more than 40 houses and 440 beds, covering the costs of required certifications, training and technical assistance, and related administrative costs.
The recovery houses are for those seeking long-term recovery from a substance use disorder diagnosis, in safe, healthy, recovery-friendly environments. The need is particularly critical for young adults in recovery in Texas who often experience housing insecurity.
“Meeting their basic need for housing allows them to focus on the other areas in life that would promote their recovery and overall well-being,” said Richard Hamner, MSW, BASc, program manager of recovery support services for Be Well Texas.
“Bridging gaps for safe recovery housing involves peer support, counseling and teaching life skills to help individuals positively adapt and effectively deal with challenges of everyday life,” he said. “Those life skills may include employment readiness, GED education, healthy eating, home management and budgeting. And the homes also provide other essential social support.”
Originally, the state considered opening 12 new recovery residences, but funding was insufficient to build that many homes as startups.
Be Well Texas believed it would be more cost-effective to use funding to support existing recovery housing providers, but cover their costs to operate as homes certified as “level 2” or “level 3” on a four-level service scale of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences. The NARR is a nonprofit organization that has developed the most widely referenced national standard for the operation of recovery residences, working with and supporting 30 state affiliate organizations.
Aside from the state and the NARR, other partners include RecoveryPeople/TROHN (Texas Recovery-Oriented Housing Network) for the training and technical assistance, and the various providers of recovery housing services across Texas. Be Well Texas created a statement of work for the project and sent a request for applications to more than 300 providers. The hope is that these providers will continue to open new homes and beds in the future.
“By increasing access to recovery residences for emerging adults, Be Well Texas is filling a gap in the substance use disorder continuum,” said Briseida “Bee” Courtois, MSW, LCDC, director of substance use services for Be Well Texas. “We along with Health and Human Services are setting a benchmark in recovery housing through support of this one-of-a-kind, medication-assisted-treatment friendly, NARR-certified level 2 and 3 housing assistance program for a high need group of young adults.”
Individuals ages 18 through 25 with a substance use or mental health diagnosis can qualify. For more information, contact Be Well Texas at (888) 85-BeWell, (888) 852-3935.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 41,100 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 2, 2023 – A patient with a substance use disorder in a rural town outside Houston recently needed lab work done before she could be prescribed medication for her treatment. But she didn’t have a ride to the lab.
Not a problem, as it turned out. Be Well Texas, a program of UT Health San Antonio that treats patients statewide for opioid and other substance use disorders, arranged for Lyft to pick her up at home and take her to the lab and back home again. And all free of charge to the patient.
UT Health San Antonio, on behalf of Be Well Texas, entered into an agreement with Lyft Healthcare to provide transportation for patients in need to its clinic in San Antonio, but also for telehealth patients anywhere in the state who need rides to the lab or the pharmacy. Lyft Healthcare is the ride-hailing company’s service for health care patients. The agreement is fulfilling an urgent need.
“About 30% or more of our patients lack transportation,” said Van King, MD, DFAPA, FASAM, medical director with Be Well Texas. “Others have transportation but are limited with their funds because they work part-time, just started working or just lost their job. They have to be very mindful of how they spend their money, and that obviously includes transportation. This helps our patients whose budgets are limited.”
Be Well Texas, funded by Texas Health and Human Services, provides treatment and resources statewide virtually, and in-person at its clinic in San Antonio’s South Texas Medical Center, at 5109 Medical Drive. Patients who are seen by virtual visits statewide additionally can get a ride for follow-up appointments with a primary care physician, if a Be Well Texas provider determines those are medically necessary.
Under the agreement, Be Well Texas is offering access to rides for all patients age 18 or older regardless of their ability pay. Lyft Healthcare ensures compliance with HIPAA and federal and state regulatory requirements to protect patient privacy and to ensure health care rides are handled in a lawful manner.
Be Well Texas personnel are trained in requesting rides for a patient, and can do so for those who do not have reliable transportation or resources to travel to clinic, lab and pharmacy visits – and for those who might not even have a permanent physical address. “We do have homeless patients who are in need,” said Claudia Draper, MBA, a practice manager with Be Well Texas. “We have a patient who came in recently who’s homeless and he would walk and ride the bus to get to our clinic.”
The ride service is limited to medically necessary appointments and laboratory and pharmaceutical services required for treatment for patients of Be Well Texas. For more information, visit https://bewelltexas.org, or call the clinic at (888) 85 Be Well, (888) 852-3935.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), is one of the country’s leading health science universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated more than 41,100 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 13, 2022 – With the U.S. grappling with an unprecedented opioid-related overdose crisis, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) has been been awarded a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research peer recovery support services for people living with opioid use disorder.
While medication for opioid use disorder can reduce rates of disease or deaths, data suggests that certain support services both aid treatment and sustain long-term recovery.
Those services can include emerging “peer” support, in which individuals with lived experience in addiction have specialized training in supporting others during their recovery by providing non-clinical linkages to treatment – such as mentorship, referrals for medical illnesses, occupational training, housing and education. However, there are gaps in knowledge of the approach that limit broader adoption.
“This is what this new grant funding is designed to address,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, vice president for research and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio, and a principal investigator for the NIH grant funding along with Robert Ashford, PhD, CEO of RecoveryLink, a recovery support technology company. Potter also is executive director of Be Well Texas, a statewide initiative of UT Health San Antonio funded by Texas Health and Human Services, providing equitable access to treatment and care for substance use disorder (SUD).
“We propose a research network that will provide systematic integration and collaboration between researchers and community-based organizations and develop a pipeline of future recovery scientists to close empirical and practice gaps in peer recovery support services, or PRSS,” she said.
Focus on stakeholder engagement
A lot is at stake with the effort, amid a backdrop of 107,000 opioid-related drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The Peer Recovery Innovation Network, the name of the new research network under the grant effort, will focus on stakeholder engagement in research agenda-setting, enhance the infrastructure for PRSS recovery science research and accelerate the growth of the PRSS evidence base in priority areas and populations, with training and telementoring as key approaches.
“We will utilize the innovative Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, ECHO, model,” said Adrienne Lindsey, DBH, MA, director of the Center for Substance Use Training and Telementoring at UT Health San Antonio. “This telementoring model will be used to expose researchers and clinicians interested in recovery support services and recovery science to the latest research findings and best practice, as well as provide a platform to vet research works in progress to get critical feedback from colleagues and subject matter experts in a budding field.”
Expanding recovery science
The effort will expand recovery science by developing a research program on PRSS during medication for opioid use disorder treatment using a novel research agenda-setting approach and an associated collaborative process, training and mentoring, and infrastructure development.
Specific aims include:
“We believe all this will inform development and expansion of services and strengthen the system of care that those with opioid use disorder may use to initiate and maintain recovery,” Potter said.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver of San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $360 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its six professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 7,900, an annual operating budget of $1.08 billion and clinical practices that provide 2.6 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
UT Health San Antonio contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
Hill Country MHDD contact: Kelsi Wilmot, 830-370-6302, kelsi8310@hillcountry.org
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 7, 2022 – Be Well Texas, a statewide initiative of UT Health San Antonio, and Hill Country Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities Centers have entered into an agreement to provide substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services to Uvalde residents.
They will jointly provide on-demand, 24/7 access to a virtual navigation hub for peer recovery support services, behavioral health screening, case management and crisis services.
Be Well Texas, funded by Texas Health and Human Services, provides resources virtually, or in-person upon request, regardless of ability to pay. The new services in Uvalde come at a pivotal time, following the tragic shootings earlier this year at Robb Elementary School.
“We knew that people were struggling with their mental health in Uvalde, and there has been a behavioral health care response, but often after a tragedy, substance use disorder will follow,” said Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH, vice president for research and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UT Health San Antonio, and executive director of Be Well Texas.
“We anticipate the degree of substance misuse to increase in the community of Uvalde,” said Tod Citron, chief executive officer of Hill Country MHDD Centers. “We understand that the risk of developing a substance use disorder is significantly greater when a loss is traumatic or occurs under traumatic circumstances. We are prepared to offer support to those who are struggling with substance misuse, whether drug- or alcohol-related.”
Under the agreement with Hill Country MHDD Centers, which has a location in Uvalde, Be Well Texas will offer medication and management for SUD, psychiatric evaluations, laboratory tests, and individual and family therapy, in addition to case management and peer recovery support services with professionals with shared addiction experiences.
The services, including medication and labs for treatment, will be offered at no cost to patients who qualify.
Hill Country MHDD Centers will provide assessments for those individuals who present for services and screen positive for substance misuse in the Uvalde community. The organization will be working with Be Well Texas to provide further assessment and treatment services that include medication assistance, counseling, family education and other services that promote recovery.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver of San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest research university in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $350 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its five professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 7,000, an annual operating budget of more than $1 billion and a clinical practice that provides more than 2 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit http://uthscsa.edu.
Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Hill Country MHDD Centers serves the greater Texas Hill Country Region, including 19 counties: Bandera, Blanco, Comal, Edwards, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Llano, Mason, Medina, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde and Val Verde. With a mission of Promoting Independence, Community Integration, and Recovery, Hill Country MHDD Centers has 22 locations, including 14 Mental Health Clinics and 8 Developmental Disability Centers serving a population of over 630,000 within a 22,593 square mile area. To find out more about our services, please visit www.hillcountry.org.
Four-year, $2 million federal grant will more than double rural providers
Contact: Steven Lee, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 1, 2022 – UT Health San Antonio has received a four-year, $2 million federal grant to expand its substance use disorder response program, Be Well Texas, to the state’s 178 rural counties that have limited or no access to resources and support addressing opioid addiction.
With the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant, Be Well Texas will lead and assist a consortium of 28 rural provider organizations in building a responsive behavioral health care delivery system with the capacity to reduce the morbidity and mortality of opioid use disorder, or OUD, among Texas’ rural residents.
That will more than double Be Well Texas’ current provider network of 12 rural providers. The growth coupled with Be Well Texas’ telehealth capacity will ensure the availability of opioid use disorder treatment services in all of the state’s rural counties.
“Deaths from opioid-related overdose are one of the greatest health failures of our time, and partially attributable to unfairly distributed treatment resources,” said Briseida “Bee” Courtois, MSW, LCDC, Be Well Texas provider network program manager and director of this grant project. “These types of need disparities led UT Health San Antonio to launch the Be Well Texas network.”
A rural disparity
That disparity appears to be more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. More opioid prescriptions are dispensed to Texas’ rural residents per-capita than to urban residents, which likely has become a source of supply for illegal drug markets and contributor to increasing overdose rates.
For example, while opioid pills were distributed at a rate of 29.4 per person living in Bexar County each year from 2006 through 2014, the rate was 88.3 in Young County in North Texas, according to a Washington Post analysis of a database maintained by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Other rural counties: Childress (76.2), Wilbarger (75.2), Brown (68.1), Palo Pinto (66.9).
Bexar County’s number was similar to other urban areas: Harris (35.6), Dallas (28.6), Travis (26.0), El Paso (16.3).
Opioid death rates in Texas might actually be higher than thought since the majority of the state’s rural counties do not report opioid-related mortality. This coupled with the fact that state data systems do not distinguish between urban and rural overdose deaths make it difficult to quantify the number of opioid-related deaths in Texas’ rural counties.
The new rural consortium will be a subset of the existing statewide Be Well Texas program, currently serving more than 10,000 adults annually and consisting of 76 contracted Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and/or Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) providers delivering substance use treatment – for opioid use, alcohol use, stimulant use and other substance use disorders – as well as non-severe mental health treatment and peer recovery supports. Commonly used substances include prescription and synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, and heroin.
Aligning with HRSA goals
The consortium’s objective aligns with the goals of HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Behavioral Health Care Support: to build capacity to deliver low-barrier, digital and/or in-person OUD treatment and recovery support services according to participant needs and preferences.
Key strategies are:
