MTSU center, Cedar Recovery partner to put addiction treatment on the road

The Center for Health and Human Services at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., garnered a $2.92 million federal grant to put a mobile addiction treatment clinic on the road that will be operated by Mt. Juliet-based Cedar Recovery addiction treatment company. The modified RV features space for counseling and patient treatment that will be delivered to the high-need counties of Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Franklin and Marshall. (MTSU photo by Nancy DeGennaro)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Mobile addiction treatment is accessible for Tennesseans in rural counties through a partnership between Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Health and Human Services and Mt. Juliet-based Cedar Recovery addiction treatment company.

Housed inside a modified RV, the top-of-the-line medically equipped mobile clinic was funded by a $2.92 million federal grant MTSU garnered from the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The 30-foot mobile health clinic features a waiting area that doubles as a space for group counseling, room for drug screening and an exam room where patients meet with medical professionals who can prescribe medication they need for treating their substance disorder,” explained Paul Trivette, chief strategy officer of Cedar Recovery.

Cynthia Chafin, director of the Center for Health and Human Services at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., stands with Paul Trivette, chief strategy officer at Cedar Recovery addiction treatment company, inside the new grant-funded mobile clinic that will provide FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment for residents in rural areas of Middle Tennessee who are battling substance use disorders as well as mild to moderate mental health issues. (MTSU photo by Nancy DeGennaro)

Founded in 2015, Cedar Recovery is an outpatient program with 13 locations throughout Tennessee and Virginia, as well as telehealth offerings.

Although the unit serves a medical purpose, creating an inviting space has been important to the program’s success. It will serve Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Franklin and Marshall counties.

“The clinic is outfitted to feel like a Cedar Recovery office — warm and welcoming,” said Cynthia Chafin, director of the Center for Health and Human Services, or CHHS. “The inside looks homey and not medical in nature, with a welcoming and calm environment.”

The grant, which will fund the mobile unit for three years, is part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, or RCORP, a Health Resources and Services Administration initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder, including opioid use disorder.

“We have an opioid crisis in this country — substance use in general — so we have a really good opportunity to change a whole lot of lives with this grant,” Chafin said.

The primary purpose of the grant-funded mobile unit is to provide FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment for residents in rural areas of Middle Tennessee who are battling substance use disorders as well as mild to moderate mental health issues.

“Using medications to treat opioid and alcohol use disorder is the gold standard and the first line of entry for individuals. We combine that treatment with counseling and therapy,” Trivette explained.

A portion of the grant will also fund staffing for the mobile health clinic.

“Our staff will travel to five rural counties … to increase access to substance use treatment to these areas that are designated as high need,” Trivette said.

All insurance companies, including Medicare and TennCare, cover the treatment and medications.

“But the cool thing is, we’re not turning anyone away for their inability to pay,” Trivette said. “We’ve received grant funding from HRSA to pay for indigent care.”

The Center for Health and Human Services at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., garnered a $2.92 million grant to deploy a mobile addiction treatment clinic that will be operated by Mt. Juliet-based Cedar Recovery addiction treatment company. The modified RV features space for counseling and patient treatment that will be delivered to the high-need counties of Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Franklin and Marshall. (MTSU photo illustration by Nancy DeGennaro)

Gathered in the common area inside the Cedar Recovery mobile addiction treatment clinic on a visit to Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., are company representatives, from left, Joe Bond, Cedar Recovery chief executive officer; Patrick Marthel, special projects manager; Paul Trivette, chief strategy officer; Robert Starnes, certified peer recovery specialist; and Dr. Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer at Cedar Recovery. (MTSU photo by Nancy DeGennaro)

The new grant is an expansion of the successful completion of an 18-month HRSA-funded Rural Communities Opioid Response Program planning grant, as well as a subsequent three-year implementation grant to address the opioid epidemic in Wilson County communities.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate success with what we’ve done, so we’ll be able to expand these services into five new rural counties, which means every person who lives in those counties who has substance use problems will have access to treatment,” Chafin said.

About MTSU’s Center for Health and Human Services

The Center for Health and Human Services, through collaborative affiliations and partnerships, facilitates projects, programs, and research activities in public health issues of importance to Tennessee and to that of the nation, consistent with the mission and purpose of MTSU.

The center has conducted research and programming in all 95 counties throughout its 30-year history. Through collaboration and partnerships, CHHS supports efforts to initiate and strengthen academic programs in health and human services to support workforce development and promote healthy communities.

For more information, contact Cynthia Chafin at Cynthia.Chafin@mtsu.edu or visit the center’s website at http://www.mtsu.edu/chhs/. CHHS relies primarily on external funding for its operations and actively seeks internal and external partners to fulfill its vision and mission for a healthier Tennessee.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)