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Diversion program thrives on cooperation, embraces skeptics

Ryan Lowery

June 04, 2020 |

Las Vegas Optic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in Alamosa, Colorado, gives police officers the option of sending people to substance abuse treatment rather than straight into the criminal justice system. Used in non-violent cases, the diversion program is based on a harm-reduction model that uses a health-care approach rather than a punitive approach to address the underlying issues when a crime is committed. Some police officers object to the program's mission, but proponents say that forcing compliance would be counterproductive.

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Arrests decrease under diversion program

Ryan Lowery

May 28, 2020 |

Las Vegas Optic |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

Alamosa, Colorado has lowered its jail population and the number of felony cases and arrests, and has broken the cycle of repeat offending, by diverting people with drug problems from prosecution into treatment. The local version of a national program called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) was modeled on one in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which worked best when people in the program maintained a close relationship with their case workers. One of many problems those relationships solved: the high number of missed court dates, which result in arrest warrants.

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The Pandemic Has Changed Addiction Treatment, Some Hope For Good

Deborah Becker

May 21, 2020 |

WBUR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States

When the pandemic hit, substance abuse centers had to quickly adapt and determine how they would stay in touch with patients who may be more likely than ever to use. Around-the-clock phone lines, telehealth, and take-home drugs to treat addiction without the requirement of daily check-ins have changed the treatment landscape and, pending impact data, could be instated permanently once the pandemic is over. "We've basically started to treat substance use disorder like other diseases and normalize it somewhat," the director of Boston Medical Center's addiction treatment program said.

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New York City Pilots Mobile Methadone Program to Help Treat Addiction

Roshan Abraham

May 20, 2020 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York City is piloting a methadone distribution system for residents struggling with opioid addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially intended to avoid unnecessary visits to medical centers, the model is now championed by policy experts as a permanent solution for reaching more patients. “It’s amazing, unprecedented, ground-breaking, and will be something that we’ll continue to fight to make sure that it stays in place after COVID has passed,” one proponent said.

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A ‘Pandemic's-worth of Triggers' Are Causing an Increase in Relapses Across the Country. Here's How Appalachians Are Coping.

Fernando Alfonso III

May 14, 2020 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kentucky

Stay-at-home orders and social distancing can worsen opioid addiction problems, and so some health providers, social media, and agencies in opioid-heavy Appalachia have devised ways to turn a threat into an opportunity. To counter isolation and denial of in-person counseling, forums on Reddit have thrived as virtual support groups. Video conferencing has proved a boon to telemedicine and counselors, extending the reach of services. Treatment providers and even Kentucky's prisons are distributing medications in novel ways to help people maintain sobriety and avoid overdoses.

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The Kearns model: Helping youths by teaching parents

Heather May

May 04, 2020 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Utah

In an effort to stem drug and substance abuse, Utah's Salt Lake City county is reaching out proactively to parents with courses and parenting programs. By arming parents with the tools to talk with their children and navigate tricky situations, the county is hoping to reduce the county's high reported usage rates.

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Mental health care becomes team effort in NH as coronavirus pandemic increases need for working together

Damien Fisher

May 03, 2020 |

Manchester Ink Link |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Manchester, New Hampshire

New Hampshire's community mental health centers are working together to deliver both in-person and telehealth services to community members during the coronavirus pandemic. All 10 of the state's centers are "sharing ideas and helping each other with what is working and identifying what isn’t working," while also working to help reduce barriers to health care access for those experiencing homelessness.

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America's Other Epidemic: A new approach to fighting the opioid crisis as it quietly rages on

Beth Macy

May 01, 2020 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Batesville, Indiana

To close a gap in drug treatment that often denies help to people who end up jailed, a hospital employee schooled in the strong evidence of effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment cobbled together a program using Medicaid funding and the cooperation of the courts and medical community. The program is rare in rural America. Though still small, the Courts Addiction & Drug Services program ended its first year with no overdoses, and only a handful of relapses, among its dozens of participants. In a region where MAT drugs are nearly impossible to get, the program is now working to expand its services.

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As pandemic time extends, so does use of telehealth

Roberta Baker

April 27, 2020 |

The Laconia Daily Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Laconia, New Hampshire

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted health insurance companies to support coverage of telemedicine across the United States, and in New Hampshire, mental health counselors are seeing many advantages to the practice. Although some aspects of in-person appointments and consultations cannot be replicated virtually, overall, telemedicine has eliminated a number of barriers for many patients.

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Coronavirus Crisis Opens Access To Online Opioid Addiction Treatment

Phil Galewitz

April 23, 2020 |

Kaiser Health News |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Walnut Creek, California

Addiction experts have been offering online counseling for addiction patients for years but have also been working to change a federal law that required patients seeking medications to help with withdrawals to first make an in-person appointment. The coronavirus pandemic has now expedited that change, and with the regulation lifted, doctors are able to offer medication-assisted treatment via online appointments in addition to the counseling.

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