Why you should care about the opioid crisis
A few days after a massive opioid overdose in a Cincinnati suburb that killed two and left another critically ill, the city of Louisville has released a public health plan that offers comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment, drug testing, counseling and a $300,000 grant to help struggling families.
In a rare step, the plan is being put out to public comment before it’s finalized.
“Louisville has shown the country how we can tackle the opioid epidemic, and now we are launching our own response,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
The plan will provide $100,000 to help families with mental illness, addiction, substance abuse, substance misuse, substance use disorders, substance dependence and substance abuse treatment. “
The new plan is an important first step to help protect the vulnerable and build support for the families that need it most.”
The plan will provide $100,000 to help families with mental illness, addiction, substance abuse, substance misuse, substance use disorders, substance dependence and substance abuse treatment.
It will also provide $200,000 for family support groups for people in need.
The goal of the plan, Fischer said, is to “give every family the support they need.”
Louisville’s program includes outpatient treatment and residential services in the city, as well as outpatient treatment in a hotel.
Fischer said the city will also offer a grant of $100 per person for each of its 1,600 beds in a program known as the Louisville Crisis Program, which will provide a maximum of two people a day of care for those experiencing an opioid overdose.
“This is a critical first step in our response to the opioid overdose crisis,” Fischer said.
“As a community, we need to take action to stop this devastating epidemic.”
The city plans to spend about $3 million on the new plan, including about $1.5 million for opioid treatment, and another $2.5 to $3.5 for other community-based services, including housing.
“Our goal is to make sure every family in Louisville has access to this program and to make it a success,” Fischer added.
“That’s the main message we are sending out to families: Get help, get help, and get help now.”
The new plan will include $100 for each person in a family.
That money is intended for opioid addiction treatment, opioid detoxification, addiction treatment and counseling, addiction education and prevention and a grant for community-oriented drug and Alcohol Treatment Program, Fischer explained.
“If you have been struggling with addiction, or have had a substance use disorder, we want to hear from you,” Fischer wrote.
“We will work with you to help you get the help you need to move forward.”
The $3-million will go toward the program, which is part of the city’s efforts to improve access to affordable housing, transportation, job training and other programs.
The plan is also intended to help prevent future overdoses.
The city’s first overdose was a drug overdose, but Fischer said it has become a “tragedy” that “we don’t know if we’re going to get better or not.”
“What’s really scary about it is that we don’t have an answer yet,” Fischer noted.
“What we are going to do is be a part of an answer, and the city is going to be a catalyst for that.”
The Louisville Crisis Project, which was established in 2014 to address opioid addiction in Louisville, includes six community-centered services: addiction treatment (including methadone and naloxone) and addiction counseling, substance education and recovery, mental health and substance use services, addiction assessment, drug and opioid screening, and a program for families to receive help.
The program is operated by the Louisville Department of Behavioral Health, and it serves the Louisville area with a $12 million budget and is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In addition to the $100-per-person grant, the Louisville program will provide treatment for heroin and prescription pain medications.
The project will also expand its services to include opioid detox and other outpatient drug and substance treatment, including opioid withdrawal and addiction treatment.
The new Louisville plan comes as the U
A few days after a massive opioid overdose in a Cincinnati suburb that killed two and left another critically ill,…
