HEALing Communities Study

HEALing Communities Study:

Helping End Addiction Long-term in Broome County

Summary of HEALing Communities Study:

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) The study took place across four states, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Kentucky, from 2019 until 2023. The HEALing Communities Study aimed to reduce Opioid Overdose Fatalities by 40% across the 16 counties in each participating state by utilizing community and data-driven decision making, convening a group of community stakeholders regularly to guide decision making, and ultimately implement interventions across three different categories: Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), Enhancing Access to and Improving Retention in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Treatment, and Enhancing Safer Prescribing and Reducing High Risk Prescribing of Opioids. Additionally, the HEALing Communities Study implemented three media campaigns during the Active Intervention Phases.

Broome County was designated as a Wave 2 County meaning that Broome did not enter Active Intervention Phase until January 2022, while Wave 1 Counties implemented interventions from 2019 – 2021. Broome County’s group of community stakeholders, known as the HCS Workgroup, consisted of representation from prevention, treatment, recovery, harm reduction, housing, public health, public safety, hospital systems, education, faith-based organizations, pharmacy, and those with lived and living experience related to substance use disorder. The HCS Workgroup was able to collaborate and successfully implement several interventions, ranging from educational events, bolstering Naloxone distribution, enhancing access to MOUD services, developing resources, increasing access to mobile services, addressing barriers to care, and continue to work to reduce stigma across all interventions. Below, the achievements of the HEALing Communities Study are outline along with quotes from the hardworking and committed members of the HCS Workgroup.

Today, the HEALing Communities Study initiatives have been continued in partnership with the Broome County Health Department and the Workgroup has shifted focus to Cross Systems Work under the Broome Cross Systems Steering Committee (BCSSC). Information on the BCSSC can be found here.