Empowering and equipping law enforcement and communities in rural illinois to reduce opioid overdose - idph is renewing its proposal entitled empowering and equipping law enforcement and communities…

Empowering and equipping law enforcement and communities in rural illinois to reduce opioid overdose - idph is renewing its proposal entitled empowering and equipping law enforcement and communities in rural illinois to reduce opioid overdose, in response to samhsa funding opportunity announcement (FOA) #TI-21-009, first responders comprehensive addiction and recovery act (FR-cara) to address the opioid-overdose crisis in the proposed 24-county catchment area. For this funding cycle, idph proposes adding an additional six counties to the catchment area, an increase 18 counties to 24 and adding two new initiatives: leave-behind naloxone distribution with interested law enforcement agencies and strengthen the care coordination activities by emphasizing a public safety supported post-overdose outreach program approach. Idph intends to decrease overdose deaths in the catchment area by (1) making the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone available to be carried and administered by law enforcement officers, (2) training and providing resources for law enforcement officers on carrying and administering naloxone, (3) implement leave-behind naloxone distribution with interested law enforcement agencies and (4) establishing processes, protocols, and mechanisms for referring individuals experiencing opioid overdose to appropriate treatment and recovery communities through public safety support post overdose outreach programs; (5) ensure that implementation activities of the proposed project are effective and data-driven. The proposed catchment area is composed of all counties in the previously funded catchment area (27% of the non-MSA rural population) and 6 other non-MSA rural counties (additional 15% of the non-MSA rural population) where the opioid-overdose death rate has increased. The addition of the 6 new counties shows an opioid-overdose death rate of 10.94 for the period 2018-2020, which is slightly higher than the rate of 10.81 for the period 2015-2017.the rural set aside grant extending coverage to an additional 15% of the non-MSA rural population is a critical strategy in the mitigation of the opioid-overdose crisis. The catchment area encompasses some of the most sparsely resourced areas in illinois. In order to address overdose deaths in these areas, IT is critical that idph focus on efforts to increase the capacity of law enforcement to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses by implementing naloxone leave behind distribution and public safety supported post-overdose outreach. Placing naloxone in the hands of people who use drugs, and their friends and family, saves lives by shortening overdose response times and increasing the number of people who seek treatment for a substance use disorder. Through this funding idph intends to train 1,040 law enforcement officers in overdose prevention and provide post-overdose outreach services to at least 20 individuals over the course of the project.