Reversing an Overdose

The Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition (VHRC) uses harm reduction strategies to help those suffering from addiction by providing free supplies like overdose reversal spray, safe smoking kits and clean syringes, as well as connection to education and treatment options when people are ready. Those who access services through a harm reduction program are five times more likely to enter treatment programs. Last year alone, the VHRC distributed more than 20,000 doses of Narcan which they know reversed at least 2,000 overdoses.

Groups Recover Together is a for-profit clinic in Maine that helps treat people addicted to opioids. It prescribes buprenorphine, provides weekly counseling, and serves around 600 people a week at 60 clinics in the country. Its retention rates are well above the national average.

In order to tackle opioid addiction, the state of Virginia found a way to make drug treatment accessible to people with medicaid by boosting “reimbursement rates to addiction treatment providers.” Historically, drug treatment hasn’t been covered by health insurance. Virginia is changing that. Already, “the percent of Medicaid members with an opioid use disorder who received treatment went up by 29 percent from April to December 2017 compared to the same period the previous year.”

As the US attempts to recover and learn from an opioid epidemic, often rehab or detox are the only solutions discussed when research says medication-assisted treatment is by far the most effective. Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton is the only facility in the county that provides medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction in a primary care setting.

Los Angeles County’s Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement (HOME) program uses street psychiatry to get psychiatric medication to people experiencing homelessness in an effort to get them a step closer to housing. The HOME team has 223 full-time staff members and served 1,919 people last year, 22% of whom ended the year housed.

Project CARA (Care that Advocates Respect/Resilience/Recovery for All) supports pregnant and parenting people with substance use disorders, providing healthcare, addiction resources and obstetrics care in one spot. The program's hub-and-spokes model makes care more accessible, especially for those in remote areas. Data from the Project also indicates that participants of the program are more likely to attend prenatal and postpartum appointments than those outside of the program.

The Olympia Bupe Clinic's walk-in model for treating opioid addiction allows patients to receive medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine on their first visit without barriers or extensive wait times. This low-barrier approach eliminates the hurdles people often face when seeking treatment. The Clinic also hires staff with lived experience with addiction to build trust and community with patients.

Several states are changing their drug paraphernalia laws, making it legal to possess fentanyl test strips which allow those who use drugs to test them for fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips are a means of harm reduction that allows the person to make informed decisions about their drug use in an effort to reduce fatal drug overdoses.

Studies show that people who received at least one dose of naloxone following an opioid overdose are 11 times more likely to survive. In response, state policies and community-level programs and organizations are working to make naloxone accessible to those who need it. Today, naloxone can be found in grocery stores, gas stations, provided at events like concerts and community spaces like libraries.

The David Folaranmi Foundation works to fight drug abuse and help those suffering from addiction through rehabilitation and education efforts. The Foundation connects patients to local rehabilitation centers for free treatment and therapy services. The Foundation also works to empower individuals to gain practical skills to help them reenter society and the workforce. Since forming in 2017, the Foundation has successfully funded the rehabilitation of 66 individuals.