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Homelessness on wheels: Boise Police, social workers launch new initiative for those living in vehicles in downtown Boise

Margaret Carmel

September 08, 2020 |

BoiseDev |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boise, Idaho

An emergency shelter, a housing nonprofit, the City of Boise, and the Boise Police Department came together to coordinate efforts and give assistance to the growing number of residents experiencing homelessness and living in RVs and cars around the city. The “Street Outreach Support” program involves knocking on the vehicle doors and offering temporary housing and medical attention to those who need it. While there are a smattering of reasons that people are living in their vehicles, the city is searching for a more permanent solution to getting people access to affordable housing.

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A COVID ‘silver lining': You can start drug treatment over the phone — and more people are starting to

Scott Greenstone

August 10, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Although COVID-19 has taken a toll on the healthcare industry, some providers and clinics have figured out a way to eliminate barriers during this time for those seeking treatment. According to the director of the Behavioral Health Institute at Harborview Medical Center in Washington, the healthcare industry has seen "at least five years worth of progress happen in four months" due to the implementation of telemedicine. While this isn't a longterm replacement for in-person visits, many doctors are reporting a rise in patient appointments via this system.

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Using Telemedicine to Treat Opioid Addiction

Tina Rosenberg

August 04, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Pennsylvania

The coronavirus pandemic has largely led to the expansion and adoption of telemedicine, which has helped those seeking treatment for addictions more easily access care. Although advocates of medication-assisted treatment have been working to eliminate barriers to virtual care for years, the pandemic has accelerated these efforts and the outcome has been successful. According to the associate executive director of Prevention Point Philadelphia, “It’s a reduction of the hassle, wait times, anxiety and fear of withdrawal in a waiting room."

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The Coronavirus Is Blowing Up Our Best Response to the Opioid Crisis

Zachary Siegel

July 29, 2020 |

The New Republic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Midland, Michigan

The coronavirus pandemic has correlated with an increase in overdose deaths in the United States, likely due to people going against one of the "central tenets of safety when using drugs: Never use alone" as well as governments' longstanding stigma against allowing supervised consumption sites. To overcome this, a harm reduction service in Midland, Michigan is connecting volunteer operators with "people who have no choice but to use alone" via telephone as a means to offer help if something goes wrong.

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The Temporary Battle Against COVID-19 Taught This N.C. Native Community How to Combat a Longstanding Epidemic

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

July 22, 2020 |

100 Days in Appalachia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Cherokee, North Carolina

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reacted to COVID-19 with aggressive measures that yielded fewer illnesses than in neighboring counties, and no deaths, all without outside help. But one of their preventive measures – roadblocks severely limiting access to the Qualla Boundary, the band's territory – led to a surge in overdose deaths from fentanyl-laced heroin, because drug dealers responded with fewer shipments of more potent drugs. Overdoses eventually subsided with the roadblock lifted. The unintended consequence taught lessons about self-governance and unseen risks from within, not just from outside.

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The Love Lot: Where Step Up to the Plate offers free meals, live music, and medical attention to Kensington residents during COVID-19

Solmaira Valerio

July 07, 2020 |

Kensington Voice |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Step Up to the Plate is a collaborative effort of local organizations that began as a way to help those experiencing food insecurity due to Covid-19. Three outdoor sites have expanded to provide free meals, mental health and addiction resources, COVID-19 testing, live music and art to brighten people’s spirits, and help filling out stimulus check applications. The outdoor distribution site in Kensington gives out 560 healthy lunches a day. While the effort has brought to light just how bad things had gotten, it has also shown how effective organizations can be working together to meet the community’s needs.

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How Bangor drug court participants are getting help staying sober during the pandemic

Judy Harrison

June 16, 2020 |

Bangor Daily News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bangor, Maine

Bangor drug court in Maine has turned to the use of Zoom to keep in contact with program participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although meeting via video call can disguise some physical symptoms of drug use, this new process has so far seen success with all participants still enrolled and one even graduating from the program.

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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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