Our SBIR Grant Proposal is Submitted!

On September 17, we applied for a Small Business and Innovation Research (SBIR) grant that would allow us to work with Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health to implement GSS in substance use disorder treatment in rural areas. The SBIR grant program focuses on research into products and services that have commercial and societal benefits. SBIR also supports small businesses in creating, researching, and marketing their technology. We previously researched GSS’ effectiveness with graduate students and are now ready to take the next step using GSS in the rural healthcare field.

Why rural healthcare? Substance use disorder is a leading cause of disability and societal burden in the US, affecting the quality of life not only of the individual, but their families, employers, and communities. Adults in rural communities with substance use disorders have disproportionately worse health outcomes with contributing factors of lack of access to care complicated by symptoms that affect motivation and treatment compliance. The vicious cycle continues with provider burnout, high turnover, lack of client engagement, leading to poor treatment outcomes for this population that needs more consistent, ongoing, and highly responsive intervention. This funding would help to propel GSS forward and demonstrate how impactful GSS can be in improving outcomes for all.

We’ll keep you posted on our progress in rural health and wellness!

Centers for Disease Control. (2023, October 24). Vital signs: Health workers face a mental  health crisis: Workers report harassment, burnout, and poor mental health.     https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/health-worker-mental-health/index.html

National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2024). Trends and statistics. https://nida.nih.gov/research- topics/trends-statistics