The Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic (SAFE) Project, in collaboration with the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC), has released a report highlighting the importance of pre-arrest diversion. The report offers five pathways that law enforcement agencies can take to implement pre-arrest diversion programs in their communities. These programs help maximize opportunities for individuals with substance use disorder to receive treatment without fear of arrest. Each pathway has associated case studies substantiating its efficacy.
According to a report released by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the opioid epidemic is contributing to a rise in financial insecurity among elders. NASAA found two main pathways leading to financial insecurity among this age group. First, grandparents may have to step in financially to take care of grandchildren in instances where their children are battling addiction. Second, seniors themselves may also be overusing opioids and draining their savings to pay for prescriptions. In light of this information, NASAA created a short brochure and conversation starter tips for financial professionals to help them discuss the opioid epidemic with older adults.
To bridge the gap between care and substance use disorder treatment, a team in Boston has created the Care Zone van to help end the opioid epidemic. The team includes a doctor, a case manager and a veteran outreach worker to identify and recruit people with substance use disorders into treatment. The idea is to create a connection between the outreach worker and those interested in treatment, eventually having the outreach worker connect those interested with the physician and case manager. In the first 18 months since it was launched, the Care Van has had more than 5,300 street encounters and had 90 percent of its prescriptions filled for Suboxone. Similar efforts are under way in Indiana. The Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction issued a letter of intent in 2017 to support the development of mobile crisis teams. That information can be found here
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Local governments across the nation recently unveiled a plan that would help settle lawsuits resulting from the opioid crisis. The plan stems from local governments across the country suing drugmakers, distributors and street-corner pharmacies. The plan, which could help upwards of 24,000 communities across the United States fight the opioid crisis, still needs to be approved by the federal court in Ohio. The plan calls for local leaders to approve or disapprove of any settlements, with three-fourths of local leaders needing to sign off on any deals that are struck. After the deal is made, the money is paid and the company’s liability in creating the opioid epidemic is ended. The plan calls for roughly 15 percent of the settlement money to be set aside for towns and cities that were hit harder by the opioid crisis.
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