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Two Rural Counties Take Diverting Paths to Jail Reform

Laine Kaplan-Levenson

September 16, 2019 |

70 Million |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

Two southern Colorado counties responded differently when drug abuse, poverty, and mental illness contributed to overcrowding in their old, decrepit jails. Pueblo County's sheriff has gone to voters three times seeking approval of a near-doubling of his jail's capacity. Alamosa County's sheriff did the same, and succeeded in a renovation that nearly doubled capacity. But those extra cells turned out to be unnecessary because that county's criminal justice and community agencies collaborated on jail alternatives, significantly reducing how many people get jailed.

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DHMC's recovery-friendly pediatrics program supports parents struggling with addiction

Nora Doyle-Burr

September 02, 2019 |

Valley News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lebanon, New Hampshire

For parents recovering from addictions, maintaining care for children can be a challenge, so a hospital in New Hampshire changed how they practice primary care in order to help. Dubbed “recovery-friendly pediatrics," the program helps to connect parents with resources on a regular basis.

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Colorado emergency rooms are trying something new to stem the opioid crisis: addiction treatment

Jesse Paul

August 28, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Hospitals in Colorado are changing their approach to opioid crisis by treating patients that come in as emergent cases and rushing them into medication-assisted addiction treatment. The model has proved so successful that doctors are now looking to expand this approach to methamphetamine users as well.

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Portugal's Wildly Successful Decriminalization Experiment

Carlyn Zwarenstein

August 24, 2019 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Portugal, Porto

Since introducing both the decriminalization of a range of substances like heroin and cocaine and new harm-reduction strategies in 2001, Portugal has seen success in driving down HIV cases, overdoses, and needle sharing. The country attributes their progress to treating the issue of drug use as a human rights issue rather than a criminal one, because they consider external factors that contribute to addiction like gender, class, or race.

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Prizes for sobriety: As Washington meth use rises, this treatment is one of few that works

Scott Greenstone

August 22, 2019 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Rewarding patients for sobriety greatly increases the likelihood for recovery. The approach of contingency management creates new behaviors through incentives instead of punishment. Through the Seattle Department of Veteran’s Affairs, patients in an addiction program who test negative get to draw a prize and accumulate rewards the longer they stay sober. This alternative form of treatment has proven effective in boosting patient participation—and success—in addiction programs at the Seattle VA.

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Overcoming an Epidemic: Opioids in Pennsylvania

Emily Reddy Anne Danahy Min Xian

August 20, 2019 |

WPSU |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

Across Pennsylvania, researchers, medical professionals, communities, and local governments are taking steps to address the opioid crisis. The epidemic that has swept across the country is being addressed at every level, including individual, family, and community. Responses include destigmatizing efforts like the Share Your Opioid Story project, school-based prevention education, drug court programming, medication assisted treatment, and training and awareness initiatives for medical professionals in urban and rural areas.

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How Colorado's rural education network went from teaching home economics to fighting the opioid epidemic

Monte Whaley

August 07, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fort Collins, Colorado

Rural parts of America are often lacking in resources such as addiction treatment centers, but a project known as Strengthening Families is working to connect families in these areas with people that can help. In Colorado, extension agents – people who are well-respected and well-known within the areas – meet with community members on a regular basis to provide information about healthy lifestyles.

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Colorado to allow medical marijuana for pain instead of opioids

Daliah Singer

August 02, 2019 |

NBC News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

States are looking for solutions to the nationwide opioid crisis, and marijuana may be one answer to that search. Two states, with a third on the way, are recommending medical marijuana in place of opioids to both reduce addiction and "normalize the conversation around the issue."

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Green Bay police carrying Narcan to combat opioid overdoses

Mike Murad

July 28, 2019 |

WLUK-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Green Bay, Wisconsin

When an individual has overdosed on opioids, there is a very limited amount of time to save their life which is why law enforcement officers in Green Bay, Wisconsin are now carrying Narcan nasal spray. “It’s a lifesaver,” says Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith. “I think just about probably everybody that we gave Narcan to would probably have died had we not been there to give them the Narcan.”

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Wind River tribes re-establish program to help those battling drug and alcohol problems

Chris Aadland

July 15, 2019 |

Casper Star-Tribune |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, a wellness court is helping connect clients with resources that are tailored to cultural practices "in addition to drug or alcohol treatment and mental health help." The program relies on offering incentives for progress rather than punishments for missteps and has already shown success in small-scale implementations.

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