FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The University of Saint Francis Family Nurse Practitioner program received a federal grant to support education to treat opioid use disorder. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a Provider’s Clinical Support Service – Universities grant to the program. The three-year grant will integrate the didactic components to the DATA waiver into the curriculum of the Master’s in Nursing program. MSN students will participate in clinical rotations at the two Fort Wayne Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) facilities, which are both new clinical sites for the program.
The SAMHSA grant was offered to programs for physicians, nurse practitioner and physician’s assistants, all of whom can prescribe medication. SAMHSA is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency awarded 28 grants and USF was the only recipient in Indiana. Family nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned in primary care to engage patients in meaningful dialogue about opioids and urge treatment for opioid or substance use disorder (SUD).
“Enhancing the curriculum will provide these future prescribers the scope of the problem, alternatives for pain management, and options for treating SUD in our region,” said Dr. Wendy Clark, USF Graduate Nursing Program Director. “I am proud to have USF students participate on the front lines in this epidemic.”
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.