This news item expired on Thursday, January 31, 2019 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Twenty-two local health departments in North Carolina received funding to implement high-impact, community-level strategies to address the opioid crisis based on the NC Opioid Action Plan.
Buncombe County HHS received $100,000 from NC DHHS to prevent fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses, increase access and linkages to care services for our most vulnerable populations, and build local capacity to respond to the opioid epidemic in Buncombe County.
BCHHS applied for this funding because the impact of opioids continues to devastate our communities, with initial counts showing 125 overdose deaths in 2017. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has identified this issue as one of their strategic priorities.
There is already a tremendous level of dedication and effort focused on a compassionate response to substance use disorder and treatment in our community. This funding helps to support those efforts and shore up other areas where more education and access to various kinds of treatment are needed in our county.
The funding will be used for the following activities:
- Hold basic training about naloxone administration for field-based BCHHS staff such as social workers and nurses.
- Research and develop protocols, training materials, and public education for harm reduction enhancements such as overdose education, naloxone distribution and administration, wound care, HIV PrEP, SBIRT, and safe syringe disposal.
- Establish a syringe exchange program within the BCHHS clinic
- Facilitate community educational forums focusing on harm reduction
- Purchase and install 12 large syringe disposal units throughout the county
The amount of devastation and poor health outcomes associated with the current rate of opioid use disorder in our community call for broad community collaboration. BCHHS and community partners are working to educate the public on the disease of addiction and are moving forward collaboratively on creating a compassionate response to meet people where they are in relation to this issue.