Funding Opportunity Available for Nicotine Recovery Integration into Substance Use Disorder Treatment (SUD) 

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program (TUPCP), Nicotine Recovery Unit (NRU) is committed to increasing SUD provider engagement in tobacco/nicotine use prevention and cessation/recovery efforts, especially in populations that are known to have higher tobacco/nicotine use rates and low utilization of existing cessation/recovery programs. 

For this project, ODH will provide funds to behavioral health care provider organizations that are willing to learn more about enhancing their infrastructure to address nicotine dependence in their SUD treatment clients in the 32 Appalachian counties of Ohio. The project has the followings goals for the funded entity:   

  • Access the facility’s current stage of readiness to implement screening and treatment protocols.  
  • Address concerns relating to treating nicotine dependence at the same time as treating other co-occurring conditions 
  • Increase awareness of the evidence around screening for nicotine dependence as part of routine care in SUD treatment facilities.  
  • Increase staffing infrastructure, confidence and willingness to treat nicotine dependence 
  • Increase support for implementing nicotine screening and treatment workflows.  
  • Identify an agency champion that will be responsible for all nicotine dependence activities.   

Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2007 to 2014, reported percentages of adult cigarette use at 27.3% in rural areas compared with 21.3% in urban areas[1] and smokeless tobacco use is reported to be twice as high in rural areas.[2] Central Appalachia has the highest prevalence of adult smokers in the nation, 25.2% compared to 16% in the non-Appalachian US. Adult smoking prevalence in Central Appalachia is the highest in the United States, yet few epidemiologic studies describe the smoking behaviors of this population.[3]  In 2019, the Ohio smoking prevalence was 24.9% for adults residing in Appalachian counties, compared with adults residing in non-Appalachian counties (19.9%).[4] TUPCP believes it is important to create awareness of this cessation support, as well as having a trusted community provider involved in promoting awareness of the program.   

Who Can Apply: Eligible applicants are any Substance Use Disorder facility/agency in one of the 32 Appalachian counties in Ohio: http://www.appalachianohio.com/ohios-appalachian-counties.php. The facility must not currently have a screening and treatment protocol in place.   

When: Proposals can be submitted anytime but must be submitted by March 30, 2023 to [email protected]     

Additional Information: For additional information on the funding opportunity, including how to apply, please see the RFQ announcement.