Addiction and substance abuse are the main reason for homelessness, the charity says

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More than 70% of detox clients in the Simon Dublin community last year cited addiction and substance abuse as the main reason for being homeless.

The increase in demand for the detox service of the charity caused the waiting times to almost double, from 29 days in 2018 to 76 days in 2020.

The organization’s 2020 annual review, released Thursday, said the average age of clients in residential detox services has dropped from 49 to 44 in the past five years.

Fifty-four per cent of all people in Dublin Simon’s emergency accommodation by 2020 have been homeless for more than three years, with 42 per cent for more than five years.

Dublin Simon Community provided services to 7,617 people in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan last year.

Sam McGuinness, chief executive, said the homeless population “is experiencing the worst crisis we could ever have imagined.”

“While some of the successes we’ve achieved make me happy, there are people struggling to rebuild their lives because they’re dealing with addiction, waiting longer to access alcohol and other drug detox services, and getting to the bottom. deep in the little ones more than ever, ”he said.

“Many of these people spend five years or more in emergency accommodation and are desperate to get out of homelessness.

Advice

“The human toll is evident in the growth in demand for advice and support outside the crisis hours, with a total of 3,875 interventions by the Dublin Simon Community Sure Steps advisory team, both in services diurnal as out of hours.

“In 2020 we worked with 7,617 adults and children and we have achieved very positive results. Nearly 2,900 adults and children received support from our income maintenance teams, which was facilitated by the increased availability of housing released in the rental market due to the Covid-19 “pandemic.

There was a 23% increase in demand for primary care and primary care services from the charity, with 938 people accessing the services in 2020. These include residential detoxification services, addiction recovery and care services. subsequent, blood-borne virus services and counseling.

The charity’s Intermediate Residential Care Center, Step-Up-Step-Down, marked its second full year of operation last year in collaboration with Safetynet Primary Care and HSE.

The service supported acute hospitals by providing up to 20 medical beds on the island of Usher, freeing up public hospital beds for use by Covid-19 patients during the pandemic.

Risk

Majella Darcy, head of clinical governance and therapeutic services for the Dublin Simon community, said more health care is needed for those suffering from homelessness.

“When the pandemic started, we were faced with a situation where we knew that the most common reason for entering our Step-Up Step-Down unit the previous year was a respiratory condition. This meant that the homeless population had an exceptionally high risk of infection and a poor outcome, ”he said.

“We moved quickly to adapt the way we provided services, ensuring the safety of our vulnerable customers and front-line healthcare staff.

“We have been hugely successful in keeping people safe during this Covid crisis, but we need to make sure we can meet the demand for addiction treatment, particularly drug stabilization and mental health supports that at the moment they are so urgent. “

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Feds award $1.6 billion in funds to address overdose and addiction crises in communities

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Photo: Shana Novak/Getty Images

In a push to prevent drug overdoses, the federal government is providing more than $1.6 billion in investments for communities across the country to address the addiction and overdose crisis. Funds are awarded by the US Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Investments made through SAMHSA’s State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grant programs, as well as HRSA’s Rural Community Opioid Response programs, are aimed at helping communities seek to leverage a range of tools from prevention to harm reduction. , to treatment and recovery supports for people in need.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, an increase of more than 15% from 2020.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the agency’s strategy to end the overdose crisis is to provide access to evidence-based, person-centered care.

“Through these grants, we are investing in hope,” he said.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT?

Investments include four types of funding for states and communities.

The first is SAMHSA’s SOR grant program. SOR provides formulary funding to states and territories to increase access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) and to support services for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support for TOU and other co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs). ). The program also supports ongoing care for stimulant misuse and use disorders, including those involving cocaine and methamphetamine.

SOR helps reduce overdose deaths and close the treatment needs gap in the United States by giving states and territories flexibility to fund evidence-based practices and supports in different settings to meet local community needs.

In addition to implementing service delivery models that enable the full spectrum of treatment and recovery support services, as well as prevention, education and harm reduction services, SOR provides funds for states and territories to purchase and distribute naloxone to increase the availability and accessibility of the medicine. .

The SOR grant amounts to $1,439,500,000 to be awarded to 58 states and territories. Funding includes a reserve for states with the highest OUD-related death rates.

And then there’s SAMHSA’s TOR Grant Program TOR addresses the overdose crisis in tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid misuse and supporting prevention services, reducing harm, treatment and recovery support for opiate and stimulant misuse related to mental and substance use conditions.

CDC data also shows that the rate of drug overdose deaths among Native Americans and Alaska Natives is 75 percent higher than the national average. TOR supports the American Indian and Alaska Native (CWD) Cultural Wisdom Statement, which elevates the importance of tribal identities, culture, spiritual beliefs, and practices to enhance well-being.

TOR recipients are encouraged to incorporate traditional approaches into their grantmaking activities. The TOR grant totals $54,976,150 and is awarded to 102 tribal entities.

In addition, $16.6 million in related funding will go to the SOR/TOR technical assistance program, whose national network of consultants provides free educational resources and training to states, communities, and individuals in prevention services, crime reduction harm, treatment and recovery for OUD and SUD.

Another $6.5 million will go to Regional Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Centers, which develop and disseminate training and technical assistance for rural communities to address opioid issues affecting those communities.

Finally, HRSA announced investments of more than $104 million to expand substance use treatment and prevention services, including OUD medications, in rural communities across the country as part of its Program of Opioid Response in Rural Communities, a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing substance use disorder morbidity and mortality in rural Americans.

THE BIGGEST TREND

In President Biden’s first State of the Union, he called addressing the opioid crisis and overdose epidemic a top priority of his administration, and earlier this year he released his National Drug Control Strategy to expand access to treatment for addiction and overdose and to disrupt drug trafficking. .

HHS invested nearly $15 million in June in 29 rural community organizations to address psychostimulant misuse and related overdose deaths. Overdose deaths from psychostimulant drugs, including methamphetamine, rose from 547 in 1999 to 23,837 in 2020, an increase exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

With the investment, HHS has provided a total of more than $400 million for the Rural Community Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative, HRSA said. This is a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality from substance use, including opioid use, in high-risk rural communities.

Through SAMHSA, HHS also recently announced $55 million in funding for its Tribal Opioid Response grant program that addresses the overdose crisis in tribal communities.

Both programs address opioid and stimulant misuse, as reflected in the President’s proposed FY 2023 budget for HHS on drug-related programs and initiatives that totaled $21.1 billion . The funding helps support the National Drug Control Strategy.

Last month, the White House released the administration’s plan to address methamphetamine and its impact on public health and safety.

IN THE REGISTRY

“All Americans deserve access to culturally sensitive prevention, treatment and recovery services and supports,” said Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and leader of SAMHSA. “SAMHSA remains committed to fighting overdose and reminding the nation that there is hope: treatment is effective and recovery is possible.”

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com

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Treating the person, not the addiction, can help reduce overdose death

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Melissa Flynn is not an addiction researcher, but she understands how addiction can explode like a tornado and destroy families. Three years ago, an opioid overdose ended the life of his stepson, Nicholas.

A recent national survey found that only two states – New Hampshire and South Dakota – have seen their overdose decrease over the past year. Still, Flynn knows that our entire country still has miles to go to deal with this crisis.

“Addiction is a brain disease and it’s a family disease,” he said. “The person you love who is addicted is still that person you love. They are the same, but their brains have changed. Too many people do not see this truth.

Flynn said that while efforts to help people with substance use disorders and to reformulate the discussion on this health issue have made some progress, improvements need to continue. It relates to other parents who have suffered the same fate. She no longer only thinks about it, but is an advocate with a mission.

“I never understood the people who were called, until the funeral,” Flynn said. “I realize I’m imperfect, but I ask God to help me with my messages to others, so if I can help one person in the audience, even for a few minutes, it’s a victory.”

The addiction crisis in America

Flynn doesn’t punch: he sees the United States and its reality as a full-blown addiction crisis. Each city can do better by developing more resources for each addict. She is not alone

“If we can ensure that early education about addiction is taught in all schools, in all children, we can affect good change,” said Malia Holbeck, LCSW, LAC, outpatient manager of the Addiction Recovery Program. ‘Addiction of Avera. Other suggestions Holbeck recommends include:

• Make sure there are intervention tools along all points of the addiction journey
• Put antidose drugs like Narcan (Naloxone) everywhere, from schools and churches to buses and grocery stores
• Offer more 24/7 treatment evaluation options for addicts who want to start recovery

These starting points go back to the reason why so many people with substance use disorders face lonely and relapsed situations: mindsets that need to change.

“We can’t stop our exit from this crisis,” Flynn said. “We paint the person who is facing a substance use disorder with such a negative light in all our popular media. The bad guy is always a drug user or seller. We have to change our attitudes if we save lives. ”

Opening up can help everyone: people with substance use disorders, families who love them, co-workers and survivors. Resource usage can also be helpful.

“We spent more than ten years of the tornado that is addiction, and it took me a while to realize that I had to change my approaches,” he said. “Families joining the struggle can hope to do better.”

Working to change systems and minds, too

“An addiction economist I respect said we will overcome this challenge, we need 10 hands ready to help every hand he needs,” Flynn said. “That’s true. But it’s also important to find the best way to help your loved one.”

Holbeck echoed Flynn’s prospects. He said no two families are alike and therefore finding an approach requires careful management and a flexible response.

“Kindness and compassion should be included in the mix,” Holbeck said. “There are a lot of approaches that aren’t just hard love or a skill.”

Holbeck said there can be frustration, but working with addiction care experts can help families find their ways to meet these multi-layered challenges.

“Shame and guilt won’t work,” Flynn said. “He realizes again that they are people we love. Focus on this as you face the problem. Start here “.

Flynn and her family honored her late stepson with a donation to the Avera Addiction Care Center. He was a music lover, so they bought a guitar available for residents who want to play.

Learn more about addiction care resources that can help you or your family.

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Pilot program helps incarcerated people address opioid addiction before being released

The MAT: Behind the Walls program focuses on improving the lives of imprisoned people. “We are concerned about the drastic amount of overdose and the high rates of opioid deaths after release,” says Chantell Jewell, superintendent of the Milwaukee County Correctional Home. (Photo from the Adam Carr archive)

As Milwaukee County moves at a pace that could eclipse last year’s record high of 545 drug overdose deaths, a new approach is being developed to help save the lives of a group that is among those most at risk: people recently released from the criminal justice system.

“We are concerned about the drastic amount of overdose and the high rates of opioid deaths after release,” said Chantell Jewell, superintendent of the Milwaukee County Correctional Home. “We’re willing to look at different ways to address the needs of our populations here, and sometimes that involves a certain amount of risk and doing things we’ve never done before.”

Jewell refers to the pilot program of the Behavioral Health Division of Milwaukee County called MAT: Behind the Walls. MAT means drug-assisted treatment, a proven, but sometimes controversial, approach to treating opioid addiction. This treatment includes injections of Vivitrol, a drug used to block the effects of opioids administered four months before a person was released, said Liz Schwartz, a case manager for the program. Participants can receive up to three injections, he added.

Planning for the program, which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Assistance Justice), began in 2019, although the pandemic was delayed somewhat. The MAT approach has been adopted in court facilities across the country, including the Dane County Jail in Madison.

Along with the medication, inmates meet weekly with a counselor and a specialist who has experienced addiction. This treatment, including Vivitrol injections, continues after release, which also allows participants to meet with the same specialists with whom they established a relationship while imprisoned, he said.

“The combination of medication and support is a key element for the program to be successful,” Schwartz said.

To date, 47 inmates of the House of Correction have completed the program and 15 are current participants. It is also offered to people moving from the Milwaukee Safe Detention Center, he said.

The program seeks to save lives. Numerous research studies have highlighted the high risk of drug overdose for the readmission population. A study in North Carolina found that during the first two weeks of release, people who were previously imprisoned were 40 times more likely than the general population to die from an opioid overdose.

“People released would re-use the same amount they did before they were imprisoned,” Schwartz said. “They didn’t realize that their tolerance had changed and that the dose was very high and they would die.”

This is significant considering that 70% to 75% of the Corrections House population reveals a substance use disorder at the time of sentencing, Jewell said.

Part of helping individuals avoid a fatal overdose is working with equality specialists to develop a safety plan, said Amanda Rodriguez, head of community programs and integration of community medical services. This strategy involves training Narcan and identifying someone in the person’s home who can help in an overdose situation.

“We ask them who is the safe person in your environment to explain what an overdose is like and who will throw Narcan down your nose,” said Rodriguez, who added that each participant will be provided with a Narcan kit upon leaving.

Community medical services, along with Wisconsin community services, are two local organizations that support treatment while they are imprisoned and after they are released. Other partners include Wellpath and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

These efforts come as Milwaukee County continues to fight to stem the tide of drug overdose deaths.

The macabre pace continues

This year, from January 1 to September 15, 321 deaths from drug overdoses were confirmed, with 106 cases pending, according to data provided by Karen Domagalski, head of operations at the office of medical examiners of the Milwaukee County. Tragically, the number of deaths increased monthly during the first five months of the year, with 40 occurring in January up to a maximum of 60 in May. That month, there were only three days in which no overdose death occurred.

The single deadliest day this year was March 29, when an overdose of six people was made, including two who died together of fentanyl and cocaine toxicity in a North Side home, and two homeless. . During the same period last year, there were 414 deaths from drug overdoses.

In addition to reducing drug overdose, the main goal of MAT is recidivism, Jewell said.

“People often have criminal behavior to support drug addiction,” he said. “If we are successful, there will be a decrease in opioid use and, with it, a decrease in criminal behavior.”

Schwartz said the program has given hope to some participants.

“A lot of them tell me they felt lonely and that no one cared,” he said. “They are grateful for the help they receive and want to be better.”

Where you can get help

Drug treatment services in the Milwaukee area are available at the following locations:

• Gateway to change

• Comprehensive treatment center on 10th Street

• Rogers behavioral health

• West Milwaukee Comprehensive Treatment Center

• First step community recovery center

• Meta House

• West Allis Community Medical Services

•United Community Center

In case you missed it: NNS Spotlight: “People are bigger than the mistakes they have made”: how a woman wants to transform the judicial system

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The photographer covers addiction and recovery in the Ross County community

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CHILLICOTHE – While living in the Philippines for three and a half years, independent photographer and filmmaker Eli Hiller documented harm reduction efforts amid extrajudicial killings of drug users.

When he returned in May 2020, he wanted to take advantage of this experience and apply it to the small town of Ohio.

“I really realized there was a lot of isolation, the emotional and mental toll of the pandemic continued for everyone. But I was somewhat curious to see how vulnerable communities were affected,” he said.

Hiller said he was in Circleville while doing research and was told that Ross County had a strong community of people pursuing harm reduction, a set of practical strategies and ideas designed to reduce the negative consequences associated with consumption. of drugs.

In December, Hiller embarked on a project of more than seven months, yet to be completed, to show the struggles of addiction and recovery in Chillicothe, reducing the framework to a small community from the original vision of covering several cities of Chillicothe. ‘Ohio. .

At the beginning of the project, Hiller decided he did not want to show images of active drug use.

“They’re a bit of a visual cliché in the photojournalism industry, so I’m preventing them from further dehumanizing and criminalizing these vulnerable populations,” Hiller said.

Instead, he chose to focus on emotional issues of isolation, loneliness, sacrifice, grief, as well as camaraderie, care, empathy, and community.

Through the Recovery Center, the Athens-based photographer began establishing relationships with people in the community.

“They started introducing me to a lot of their customers who came to eat and I slowly started talking to people from outside, I followed them back to their camps and then I built those relationships for several months,” he said. .

Hiller said he was impressed with the strength of support systems in Ross County. “They’re really changing the narrative of the recovery aspect,” Hiller said, noting that recovery wasn’t always a straight, clean line.

“For them, as long as they can stop overdoses and prolong people’s lives, that does more than anything. And that’s really important, I think.”

The photo essay, intended to accompany an article written by a friend of Hiller’s, will likely end this month, Hiller said. The couple continues to publish the article, although the photographer claimed that Buzzfeed has expressed interest in the project.

Christina Arredondo, director of the Ross County Outreach and Recovery Center, gave a gesture of provisional approval, as anyone entering the recovery center is told to be respectful and told that if she talks to someone or takes pictures, be okay with the person you work with.

“It felt like I wanted to build relationships and really get to know people and their stories,” Arredondo said.

In the Philippines, Hiller worked with Filipino HIV lawyer Paji Angeles Jr. to create “Kemikal Romance,” a film about ‘the invisible victims of HIV and the drug war’ in a country where LGBTQ activity is very stigmatized.

He is currently working on a project that covers his stepbrothers across the country and the quest to find his father, as he and his half-brothers were born through a donor.

Do you have questions, comments, or tips about the story? Contact Justin at Jreutterma@gannett.com.

Follow him on Twitter @ jayreutter1.

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