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

The emergency room at Swedish Hospital in Edmonds, Washington is working to implement more focused care for those suffering from opioid addiction, an offering not typically present at most hospitals. Using a hands-on approach that integrates "substance use disorder treatment and interventions and assessment," through the use of doctors, counselors, and social workers, this program increases the likelihood of follow through with recovery.

In Nashua, New Hampshire, a city-run program known as Safe Station connects people who are seeking help with addiction to health-care resources, including emergency medical services, transportation, and support groups. Although a change in funding could impact the program's future, in the time that it has been operating, thousands of people have sought treatment and the city has seen a significant decrease in opioid overdoses.

Cities that invest in multi-faceted opioid addiction treatment programs succeed in lowering overdose deaths. In Little Falls, Minnesota, the idea of “medication-assisted treatment” includes combining the traditional use of drugs like Suboxone to wean heavy opioid dependency with additional measures, including hospital oversight to reduce excess prescriptions and the coordination of care between social workers, doctors, nurses, teachers, and even law enforcement. Cities with successful public health programs treating opioid addiction rely on federal and state grants as well as donations.

Prevention Point Philadelphia provides needle-exchange, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, counseling groups, mailboxes, and Naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal drug) training to 18,000 people. The center also connects addicts to addiction services and other social programs if they want to seek recovery.

A mother's grief and a doctor's determination led to the first syringe-exchange center in Florida – a significant first step in increasing conversation around the merits of harm reduction policies. Since opening, the center has "collected 360,000 dirty syringes, provided medical treatment to 1,200 people, and helped 200 patients detox," while also reversing 1,450 overdoses, which has prompted five other counties to lift their syringe-exchange bans.

To help those struggling with opioid addictions, an apprentice program in Kentucky uses art and music taught by local artisans to provide participants with a path forward. After learning various skills as part of the program, a local instrument company also considers the new apprentices for hire as part of a “recovery-friendly” employment movement.

By combining resources across sectors, an outpatient addiction treatment center in West Virginia has been able to offer an immediate response to patients which is a vital factor in whether someone follows through with their treatment plan. The center also works with the community through partnerships with local organizations to reduce stigma to seek addiction treatment.

After recognizing that just-released inmates were more likely to overdose on opioids, Cook County Jail partnered with Cook County Health to train at-risk detainees how to administer Naloxone nasal spray. This program also provides released detainees with Naloxone kits, and has recorded significant success from this process.

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.

To fight against the opioid epidemic, a Google affiliate partnered with the two largest hospital systems near Dayton, Ohio to open a new treatment facility. Based on a model of holistic health care, the facility is "focusing on bridging gaps and developing coordinated efforts across organizations" to address the problem.