Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today announced investments of more than $3.2 million to combat the drug-related overdose epidemic through 13 organizations that will help residents connect with the care they need, such as receiving overdose prevention and reversal tools, treatment options, drug checking equipment, and educational services.
“Many overdoses are preventable or reversible. The organizations receiving this funding will provide services and resources to help prevent and reverse overdoses and ultimately save the lives of Pennsylvanians,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “This is another example of how the Shapiro Administration is committed to helping people who use drugs get the services and care they deserve, where and when they need it.”
The funding comes from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) via the Overdose Data to Action in States cooperative agreement to expand drug-related overdose surveillance and prevention efforts over five years.
These grants are just the latest effort in the Shapiro Administration’s whole-of-government approach to combatting the overdose crises, with an emphasis on directly engaging individuals with substance use disorder to prevent overdoses and provide accessible treatment. The following programs will receive funding, which will be distributed through the Department’s Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention (ODSMP).
PA-SUN
The Pennsylvania Substance Use Navigation Program (PA-SUN) grantees will implement health system-wide capacity to screen, diagnose, and support care for opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder, as well as support recovery.
The goal of this funding is to support emergency department linkage to care via multidisciplinary teams (including navigators to help guide people through the health care system), to enhance universal screening for substance use disorder among patients presenting for other reasons to the emergency department, and to identify new opportunities to engage and link patients to care.
Total award amounts:
- Allegheny-Singer Research Institute (Allegheny County): $301,470.26
- Geisinger Clinic (Lackawanna County): $315,139.97
- Temple University Hospital (Philadelphia County): $323,579.59
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Allegheny County): $324,997.74
Harm Reduction Organizations
Organizations focused on harm reduction will expand drug-related overdose education and naloxone distribution programs and use navigators to connect people who use drugs to services — including overdose prevention and reversal tools, such as test strips and naloxone — treatment options, and drug checking equipment.
This funding prioritizes serving people who are at the greatest risk of experiencing or witnessing an overdose and supporting increased capacity for harm reduction organizations to connect people to care.
Total award amounts:
- AIDS Care Group (Delaware County): $306,000.00
- Drexel University (Philadelphia County): $303,760.67
- Lancaster Harm Reduction Project (Lancaster County): $266,859.81
- Lehigh Valley Hospital (Lehigh County): $288,248.09
Community-Based Organizations
Community-based organizations will work to connect individuals in their community to overdose prevention and substance use disorder services. For example, one community-based organization will prioritize outreach activities to Black men, as local overdose trends demonstrate higher rates of overdose among this group.
The funding will build capacity in communities to help connect people with substance use disorder to services and remain connected to them while integrating health equity and stigma reduction. The organizations can also use funds to create post-overdose outreach teams to connect with individuals within 72 hours of suspected overdose and/or develop case management systems to help individuals navigate the processes by which care may be accessed.
Total award amounts:
- Men of the Community (Erie County): $310,650.20
- Public Health Management Corporation (Philadelphia County): $312,500.00
Additional funding in this category will be announced at a later date.
Biosurveillance
The ODSMP, in collaboration with DOH Bureau of Laboratories (BOL), launched a new overdose biosurveillance program to enhance surveillance of suspected unintentional overdose-related emergency department visits in Pennsylvania.
The program aims to identify new and novel substances introduced into the drug supply, analyze comprehensive toxicology data on drugs contributing to non-fatal overdose, and inform data-driven response strategies.
Participating health systems identify, store, and ship leftover biological specimens from suspected unintentional overdoses to the DOH BOL for toxicology testing.
Findings from this program will enable stakeholders – including local public health practitioners, harm reduction partners, and health care providers – to better understand the drug supply in Pennsylvania along with social determinants and/or physical health conditions that place individuals at a disproportionate risk for non-fatal overdose.
Participating Health Systems will receive up to $50,000 each to support expenses associated with this program:
- Penn State Health (Dauphin County)
- Temple University Hospital (Philadelphia County)
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Allegheny County)
Additional funding in this category will be announced at a later date.
More information about the DOH’s efforts to combat overdoses in Pennsylvania can be found on the Department’s website.
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