In this issue:

• How the availability of naloxone without a prescription will save lives
• Suicide Prevention Month raises awareness and hope
• Readers offer poetry written during the pandemic
• Oregon Health Plan benefits will expand to pay rent, provide air conditioners and food
• Oregonians’ personal health care spending way up; public comment invited
• Q & A
• OHA's COVID-19 resources

How the availability of naloxone without a prescription will save lives

The life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone is now available to the public without a prescription. It is by far the most effective tool we have to reduce opioid overdose.

Because of the unprecedented proliferation of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than heroin and found in the majority of Oregon's illicit opioid supply, people are often dying from overdose before first responders can get to them. That’s why it’s incredibly important that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter naloxone product, so that roommates, parents or friends can easily possess and administer it if they witness an overdose. Calling 911 may not be fast enough to save lives.

To better understand what naloxone is, how to use it and how to get it, we posed a series of questions to John McIlveen, State Opioid Treatment Authority at OHA.

Suicide Prevention Month raises awareness and hope

Did you know?

• Asking someone directly if they are thinking of suicide will not make them suicidal and can actually help.
• Suicide is complex. No one takes their life for a single reason.
• If someone can get through a suicidal crisis, chances are they will not go on to die by suicide.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and that means opportunities to learn and raise awareness about suicide, and most importantly, prevent it.

The Oregon chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is hosting several events across the state this month and next, including the annual Out of Darkness walks that begin this weekend in Bend. Events are free and registration is requested.

Read our blog about preventing youth suicide, and check out our mental health resources page if you’re experiencing stress, grief, political anxiety, loneliness, chronic health problems, financial uncertainty or any stressors. Call or text 988 (24/7) for free and confidential support if you or someone you know is in crisis.

And remember, you are not alone.

Readers offer poetry written during the pandemic

Oregon Health Plan benefits will expand to pay rent, provide air conditioners and food

Oregon will become the first state to provide up to six months of rent assistance to Medicaid recipients. The benefits will first be available to people who are at risk of losing their housing to prevent them from becoming homeless, which can severely impact one’s health.

The rent assistance is part of a groundbreaking request to the federal government to expand Oregon’s Medicaid benefits, also known as Oregon Health Plan (OHP). If the federal government approves the proposed timeline, OHP will make rent assistance available to qualified members starting Nov. 1, 2024.

Other elements of the OHP benefit expansion request include providing climate-related supports, such as air conditioners, to reduce health risks during extreme heat emergencies, or air filters to protect from the respiratory effects of wildfire smoke. This benefit would become available to qualified OHP members starting Jan. 1, 2024.

Additionally, nutrition benefits, such as medically tailored meals, would become available to qualified OHP members starting Jan. 1, 2025.

OHP members in need of assistance can access health-related services by contacting their coordinated care organization.

Oregonians’ personal health care spending way up; public comment invited

On average, Oregonians are spending nearly $8,000 per year on their health care, a dramatic increase of 40% over the past decade.

A new OHA report shows people in the state spent about 22% of their household budgets on insurance premiums, prescription drugs and over-the-counter health care items in 2021.

The report also found that high health care costs disproportionally impact communities of color, with significant portions of some groups spending all of their savings on medical bills. Additionally, commercial health insurance premiums and deductibles rose significantly.

OHA is encouraging people to submit public comment about the impact of high health care costs for a virtual public hearing scheduled for Thurs., Sept. 14, at 9 a.m. Submit comments in advance by emailing HealthCare.CostTarget@oha.oregon.gov. The meeting will be open to the public via Zoom. Comments will be used to guide discussions about solutions to the affordability crisis.

Q & A

OHA’s Behavioral Health Division, with help from Oregon Health & Science University, answered today’s question.

Q: While there is much information about SUD (substance use disorder) concerning opioids, marijuana and alcohol, there isn't much "out there" about methamphetamine use. Our family has been affected in a generational manner by this elusive, chaotically tragic and violent drug addiction. It seems that incarceration is the only response that actually works for any length of time, but only until the next relapse. What real treatment options exist? Please help. – Shannon, Sheridan

A: “We're very sorry, Shannon, about your family’s struggles. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant (a separate drug class from opioids, marijuana and alcohol) that accounts for a significant portion of overdose deaths, especially in rural communities. While there is no FDA-approved medication to treat a stimulant use disorder (StimUD), a behavioral treatment called Contingency Management (CM) has shown significant promise. CM therapy reinforces desired behaviors with rewards. In this case, not using methamphetamines is the desired behavior, and the reward for not using could be cash or cash-equivalents. So, for example, when someone presents a negative urine sample they get rewarded immediately, and the reward will release a ‘feel-good’ chemical (dopamine) in the brain that, over time, re-trains the brain to value rewards other than methamphetamine. Doing this repeatedly can motivate people to not use, which resets our brain’s ability to respond to normal rewards and get pleasure from everyday life.

“CM therapy is not a new concept, but it is not yet widely used in practice. The National Institutes of Health is funding PEER-CM, a large pilot project led by Oregon Health & Science University that is testing CM therapy in a novel way—using peer recovery support specialists who have past lived experience using drugs who can better relate to patients. The study is scheduled to launch this fall and last three years.

“Across Oregon, 16 peer support sites are participating in the PEER-CM project, and unfortunately none is in Yamhill County. But you can check the Oregon Recovers website to look for peer support services in your area. As you mentioned, there is a lack of emphasis on methamphetamine use in the treatment and recovery landscape, and peer support methods are great for connecting you and your family to the information and resources you seek, including harm reduction programs.

“A facility called Provoking Hope, located in McMinnville (971-261-2259), is close to you. While they may not offer CM therapy, they offer an array of peer support services for individuals with SUD (including StimUD) and can connect them to many other resources. There is also Yamhill County Behavioral Health Services (503-538-8970), which you can call to schedule an evaluation. They also take walk-in clients.

“People can also find treatment and recovery services through OHA’s Behavioral Health Resource Networks (BHRNs), which exist in every Oregon county. Our interactive BHRN directory allows people to search for peer support or harm reduction services in their area.

“If you suspect someone is overdosing on methamphetamines or other substances, call 911 right away. Oregon’s Alcohol & Drug Helpline can also provide referrals to local resources for peer support and treatment. Call 800-923-4357 (24/7) or text Recovery Now to 839863.”

If you have questions about health topics in Oregon, submit your question here. Although we are unable to answer every question, we try to address those that may be of interest to a broader audience. Please understand that we are unable to provide specific medical advice for personal medical conditions.

OHA's COVID-19 resources

• FIND A VACCINE
• COVID-19 home page
• News and reports homepage
• Respiratory virus data home page (COVID-19, RSV, flu)
  
• Wastewater surveillance data dashboard (updated every Wednesday)

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