Tuolumne Me-Wuk Indian Health Center

Tuolumne Me-Wuk Indian Health Center, as a whole, is made up of 8 different buildings throughout Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties. Our MAT program is located between 2 sites – our Tuolumne primary care and MeWu:Ya sites. Tuolumne primary care is a medical office, which houses program physicians, medical staff, and our pharmacy. MAT medications are prescribed and administered. MeWu:Ya houses our counseling and peer specialist staff. Our target populations are American Indians and Alaska Natives and community members at large. Most 6 / 16 of these individuals are underserved and all live in a rural area. Both our MAT and SUD programs work with individuals who have been identified as using stimulants, opioids, and other substances, many of whom are also experiencing homelessness and dual diagnoses. Our MAT medical providers allow clients to receive medical treatment such as HIV/hepatitis testing, vaccinations, medical screenings, drug testing and medications that may assist with addressing substance use disorder symptoms. This helps to promote harm reduction and wellness. MeWu:Ya (Family of Healing) is our MAT Substance Use program where clients receive screening for mental health services, treatment for substance use disorder, case management, peer counseling, individual counseling, group services and drug testing. MAT counselors and providers give additional community resources to individuals that have been identified as needing, shelter, food, clothing, or a referral to the County Behavioral Health. Our program also provides family focused outreach activities that consists of going onto the reservation and providing education and awareness to American Indian children, youth and families who have a family member being impacted by Substance Use. Our MAT program emphasizes tailoring substance use treatment to meet the needs of the individual patient versus a one-size-fits-all model. We offer a variety of ways to receive SUD treatment. Our groups are infused with culturally responsive treatment (Red Road to Wellbriety, Drum Assisted Recovery Therapy). Our community events inform and encourage community members to seek treatment as well as promote Native cultural healing practices (Sweat lodge ceremony). We have an onsite Peer Specialist to help link individuals to community resources and to work with them as they contemplate and work towards change. The first goal of our harm reduction model is to increase accessibility to quality services while eliminating barriers. Interdisciplinary communication and collaboration are also integral. Our SUD Counselors and Peer Specialist work closely with our pharmacist and medical providers to order and handout naloxone to patients and their family members. Patients are educated on safe syringe disposal, including identifying safe locations to dispose syringes. Our organization partners with our inhouse pharmacy for medication safe disposal. We believe our treatment services and harm reduction ethos decreases stigma, expands the availability of SUD services, and offers hope to people who have not benefited from traditional abstinence-based treatment models. Our outreach strategies consist of marketing on local radio stations, advertising on social media, partnering with our pharmacy, meeting with tribal members to understand needs, county partners and 7 / 16 hosting events on substance use and behavioral health topics for awareness, prevention, and resources.