The houston health department (HHD) is applying for a category 1A for an urban area or large county, in the amount of $1,600,000 for 3 years serving the city of houston with a 2.3 million population

The City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a $1,600,000 Project Grant from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.838 - Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and other Substances Use Program) to address substance use and misuse in the Houston metropolitan area over a 3-year period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026. The grant, titled "Collaboration Houston: Addressing Substance Use and Misuse (CHASM)", will allow the City of Houston to: (1) provide targeted substance use awareness activities and curriculum-based education in partnership with the Houston Police Department and the Center for Recovery and Wellness Resources; (2) integrate data from the city's existing opioid surveillance system to improve community outreach and stakeholder mobilization; and (3) deliver evidence-based substance use treatment and recovery support services. This funding aims to address the rise in opioid misuse, overdose, and other illicit drug use impacting Houston's diverse population, with a focus on underserved communities.

This application includes partnership with houston police department (HPD) and the center for recovery and wellness resources (CRWR). This proposal, collaboration houston: addressing substance use and misuse (CHASM), expands upon cossap funded surveillance and alert system to inform outreach, education and mobilization. CHASM will implement a locally driven, comprehensive response to address substance use and misuse by: (1) providing targeted substance use awareness activities in partnership with law enforcement for with K-12 students and curriculum-based education with justice involved individuals, parents/caregivers and older adults. (2) integrating data from the current opioid surveillance system to improve community awareness, program messaging, and mobilization of stakeholder response. (3) delivering evidence-based substance use treatment and recovery support services. Houston/harris county continues to experience a rise in opioid misuse and overdose. In 2020, harris county was the highest texas county for the number of accidental poisoning deaths involving opioids. This area continues to experience increased rates of illicit drug use from 6.6 per 100,000 in 2010 to 9.1 in 2020. During this same period, death rates from substance use increased from 9.2 to 17.7, greater than texas rate. Most drugs being used in houston, including heroin and opioids, are now being cut with fentanyl further complicating this epidemic in houston. Deaths involving fentanyl skyrocketed by 341% from 2019-2021. Houston is known as one of the most racially/ethnically diverse large metropolitan areas in the country, with over 145 languages spoken. However, houston has an overrepresentation of underserved communities of color. In these neighborhoods, populations are of greater risk and require specific interventions, including youth and justice involved individuals. CHASM partners with law enforcement and recovery experts providing specific strategies for these communities and populations that are more likely to be impacted by opioid overdose, stimulants and other substance use. Awareness activities, curriculum-based education and substance use treatment will be augmented with real-time surveillance data. Public access to web-based data will include a warning system to gauge opioid overdoses, deaths and substance use trends in houston. CHASM promotes public safety and supports access to recovery services. CHASM responds to contextual changes in the opioid epidemic through multi-sector collaboration and strategic, evidence-based interventions for individuals, groups and communities with higher vulnerability.