The opioid crisis continues to reach unprecedented levels across New York State. Opioid-related mortality has quadrupled in New York in the past 10 years and hospital emergency departments have seen a 30% increase in outpatient visits due to an opioid-related overdoses.
In the next five years, New York State will disburse $2.6 billion in opioid settlement funds from pharmaceutical companies and opioid manufacturers to support multiple State and local initiatives that prevent, treat, and aid in the recovery of substance use and addictions. However, glaring gaps exist in the way treatment and support services are offered to individuals affected by the opioid crisis. An estimated 70% of individuals with substance use disorders have a co-occurring mental illness. For the majority, care is disjointed and fails to provide integrated and comprehensive treatment to address these co-occurring issues.
In the Mid-Hudson region, innovative models of care have emerged to meet this challenge. Service providers, consumer advocates, and health departments in seven counties adopted an integrated system of care to meet the holistic needs of individuals and their loved ones. Please join NYHealth for a discussion about ways to better meet the needs of people impacted by the opioid epidemic in New York. Hear from local practitioners about their experiences in implementing integrated crisis stabilization, prevention, and recovery programs; learn how they sustain the work; and gain practical insight on adopting multistakeholder partnerships in more communities.
Panelists will be:
- Stephanie Marquesano, Founder & President, the harris project
- Michael Orth, Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health