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The University at Buffalo (UB) School of Nursing has received a $1.35 million grant which will help increase the number of behavioral health professionals treating opioid and other substance use disorders in Western New York.

The three-year grant was provided by the US Health Resources and Services Administration and will allow UB to train over 50 students studying psychiatric mental health nursing, psychology, social work, and more. UB will partner with nine local primary and behavioral health care sites to launch the Opioid Workforce Expansion Program (OWEP), an interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art addictions training program.

Yu-Ping Chang, PhD, principal investigator on the grant, associate dean for research and scholarship, and Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Endowed Professor in the UB School of Nursing, tells buffalo.edu , “This grant fosters academic and practice partnerships with experts in addictions care in an effort to create a cohesive and interdisciplinary addiction training program. Aside from the benefit to our students, our clinical partners will also have access to enhanced addictions offerings and opportunities to consult with experts either in-person or using telehealth technology.”

According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, nearly 259 million opioid pain medication prescriptions were written in 2012. Opioid death rates in Western New York are among the highest in the state, and vulnerable communities in the region lack access to addiction treatment and care. By leveraging relationships with community partners, OWEP aims to ultimately place behavioral health professionals at care sites in these communities.

To learn more about the $1.35 million grant awarded to the University at Buffalo School of Nursing to increase the number of behavioral health professionals treating opioid and other substance use disorders in Western New York, visit here.

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