Page 23 - FOCUS APRIL 2018

WATCH THE VIDEO AT ONLINE ATHTTPS://NEWS CHRISTIANACARE ORG
moment during a a a a hospitalization we can help them out of addiction and back into a a a a a a healthy life This new partnership will enable us to to take this successful model out into the community to reach more more individuals and and more more families with the help and and Cexpertise that they need to to break the the the the the the cycle of of addiction ”
hristiana Care has made a a a a a a $500 000 commitment to support support the pilot program including in-kind support support of Christiana Christiana Care staff from Project Engage Christiana Christiana Care’s Office of Health Health Equity and the Behavioral Health Health Service Line Plans are to expand the program based on learnings after the initial phase “This is is is the public health emergency of this generation ”
said Matthew S Meyer New Castle County Executive “Leadership requires that we intelligently identify gaps in in care and act collaboratively and quickly to address such gaps Today is about doing just that ”
Delaware and especially New Castle County is experiencing an an alarming increase in in in in opioid overdoses According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Delaware reported the second highest percent change for suspected opioid overdose emergency department visits (105 percent) of 16 states participating in in enhanced data surveillance for the period from July 2016 to September 2017 Of 2 2 2 075 suspected overdose-related emergency department visits during this time 1 529 (74 percent) were in New Castle County Moreover the number of ED overdose visits more than doubled in in New Castle County from 189 in in the third third quarter quarter of of 2016 to 464 in the third third quarter quarter of of 2017 The Community SOS team will consist of at least two engagement specialists with the the likely addition of more personnel as the the program advances During engagement with overdose survivors and their families the the team will use motivational interviewing a a a a method that has proven successful in in addiction counseling to empower each patient in in the decision-making process to take that critical first step to accept help for their substance use The team will also offer naloxone to family members and cohabitants o of overdose patients to improve survivability in the event of a a a a repeat overdose incident The Community SOS program is is an an extension of Christiana Care’s comprehensive approach to addiction medicine which includes an opioid withdrawal clinical pathway and the nationally recognized Project Engage which has been successful in in reaching patients with substance use disorder in in the the hospital while they are in in a a a a “reachable moment ”
“Addiction is is a a a a a brain disease ”
said Erin Booker LPC corporate director of Behavioral Health at Christiana Care “The good
news is that as health care professionals we have evidence- based tools that work to to help people pull themselves out of addiction This partnership with New Castle County creates important collaboration with emergency responders who know the community well and who often struggle with saving lives time time after time time from overdoses too often knowing that it will happen again if that patient doesn’t receive extra help This partnership provides that help with the important component of an an engagement specialist who is is a a a a a a peer and has been through the process of fighting addiction ”

| Addiction Medicine New Castle County Executive Matthew S S S S S Meyer announces the the the new the the the Community Substance Overdose Support (SOS) Program FOCUS • APRIL 2018 21