Hope Exists Foundation Inc

INCREASING ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND HOUSING FOR HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS IN ATLANTIC COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - THE ATLANTIC COUNTY SHERIFFS FOUNDATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE DRUG MONITORING INITIATIVE, NEW JERSEY MAT CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, FIVE OF THE LARGEST SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT PROVIDERS IN NEW JERSEY AND RECOVERY HOMES AND HOUSING AGENCIES WILL DEVELOP A MOBILE RECOVERY COACHING UNIT TO ENGAGE 300 HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS IN ATLANTIC CITY IN TREATMENT AFTER NALOXONE RESCUE OR WITHIN 72 HOURS AND PROVIDE LINKAGE TO HOUSING AND SUPPORT. THE GEOGRAPHIC CATCHMENT AREA FOR THE PROJECT WILL BE ATLANTIC COUNTY, ONE OF 21 COUNTIES IN NEW JERSEY. ATLANTIC COUNTY IS HOME TO ATLANTIC CITY WHICH HAS OVER 27-MILLION VISITORS EACH YEAR WHO UTILIZE ITS WORLD-RENOWNED BEACHES AND WHO GAMBLE IN THE LOCAL CASINOS. HOWEVER, JUST WEST OF THE BOARDWALK AND THE CASINOS, OVER 37-PERCENT OF ITS 38,466 RESIDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY AND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE POPULATION HAVE OPIATE USE DISORDERS. ATLANTIC COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST DRUG MORTALITY RATE OF ALL NEW JERSEYS 21 COUNTIES, AT 36 DEATHS PER 100,000. IN 2022, THERE WERE 3,046 SUSPECTED OVERDOSE DEATHS IN NEW JERSEY (THE TENTH LARGEST IN THE NATION). A TOTAL OF 255 OF THESE DEATHS OCCURRED IN ATLANTIC COUNTY, A 35.6-PERCENT INCREASE FROM 2021. AS OF JANUARY 2023, ATLANTIC COUNTY HAD THE THIRD LARGEST NUMBER OF OVERDOSE DEATHS IN THE STATE. THE POPULATION OF FOCUS WILL BE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES (AGES 15 YEARS AND OLDER) FROM ALL RACIAL, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, GENDER AND LIVED EXPERIENCE GROUPS DIAGNOSED WITH A SUBSTANCE USE OR CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER WHO HAVE RECENTLY SURVIVED AN OVERDOSE. IN 2022, THERE WERE 1,031 NALOXONE ADMINISTRATIONS PROVIDED BY EMTS IN ATLANTIC COUNTY, WITH A LARGE NUMBER ADMINISTERED IN ATLANTIC CITY. HOWEVER, AN ESTIMATED 70-PERCENT OF THE 776 OVERDOSE SURVIVORS REFUSED TO BE TRANSPORTED TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM AND LEFT THE SCENE PRESUMABLY TO RESUME TAKING OPIATES PLACING THEM AT INCREASED RISK FOR A FATAL OVERDOSE. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A NEED FOR PROGRAMS THAT INTERFACE WITH THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE AND EMTS TO ENGAGE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AT THE OVERDOSE SCENE INTO TREATMENT OR WITHIN HOURS OR DAYS TO PREVENT A FATAL OVERDOSE. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO 1) DECREASE SUBSTANCE USE IN HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS THROUGH MOBILE OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT WILL INCREASE ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING; 2) INCREASE HOUSING STABILITY IN HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS WITH SUBSTANCE USE AND CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS WHO ARE TRANSITIONING TO THE COMMUNITY FROM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT BY IMPLEMENTING HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES, AND 3) INCREASE RECOVERY CAPITAL TO SUPPORT RECOVERY AND HOUSING FOR HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS THROUGHOUT THEIR CONTINUUM OF CARE AND INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR UP TO ONE YEAR. THE MOBILE RECOVERY COACHING UNIT (MRCU) WILL INTERFACE WITH THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE DRUG MONITORING INITIATIVE TO DEPLOY MOBILE RECOVERY COACHES WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE TO ENGAGE HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS INTO RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER REVIVAL WITH NALOXONE OR WITHIN 72 HOURS. COACHES WILL PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE OUTREACH, CONNECT HOMELESS OVERDOSE SURVIVORS TO TREATMENT, STAY ENGAGED WITH THE CLIENTS DURING THEIR CONTINUUM OF CARE, IDENTIFY HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ASSIST WITH THEIR TRANSITION TO HOUSING FROM RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT AND PROVIDE MOBILE RECOVERY SUPPORT AND HARM REDUCTION SERVICES FOR UP TO ONE YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY. ROWAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE WILL PROVIDE EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT.