Emory University announced Wednesday the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has been awarded a five-year, $2.6 million grant by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant will allow the school to create a program capable of increasing the number of advanced practice nurses and licensed clinical social workers treating mental illnesses and substance use disorders across nine Georgia counties.
The Advanced Practice Provider Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program will offer opportunities for nurses and social workers across Bacon, Bibb, Clarke, Coffee, Floyd, Seminole, Thomas, Tift and Ware counties. The program is intended to bolster the knowledge of health care professionals who are often the first point of contact for patients suffering from mental illnesses or substance use disorders.
“Patients struggling with mental health or substance use are more likely to initially seek help from a primary care provider or community organization because of stigma,” Emory School of Nursing assistant professor Shaquita Starks, PhD, APRN, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, said in a press release.
“Sometimes, they may seek treatment or support for something else without mentioning mental health or substance use,” she continued. “Clinicians aware of the common conditions associated with substance use and mental illness can address them, reducing the patient’s risk of disease and death.”
The program will train 40 advanced practice nurses and 10 licensed clinical social workers over a five year period. Via on online curriculum, those participating in the program will undergo training in a variety of topics, including: neurobiology, social determinants of mental health, adverse life experiences, relapse prevention, DEI, harm reduction, care for vulnerable populations and trauma-informed care.
Mental illness and substance use disorders remain a significant burden for Georgia patients. According to independent health policy research source KFF, 33.9% of adults in Georgia reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during February 2023 — slightly higher than the national average. Simultaneously, the pandemic has coincided with an increase in substance use and deaths related to substance use. In 2021 alone, there were more than 106,600 deaths caused by drug overdose — a stark 51% increase from pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.
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