Page 26 - HealthcareNews May/June 2021

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONT’D
trend, and Massachusetts actually ranks among the states with the smallest increases. Preliminary data released last month by the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention show drug-overdose deaths surged by 29% nationally between September 2019 and September 2020, with Massachusetts showing a smaller increase in the single digits. Overall, nationally, the 2020 opioid-related overdose death rate of 30.2 per 100,000 people is approximately 1% lower than in 2016 (30.6 per 100,000).
Like others who have studied the issue, Markey drew a clear line between the pandemic and the sudden upward swing in opioid casualties.
“In 2020, as we battled COVID-19, the opioid epidemic ravaged our communities at an unprecendeted rate,” the senator said. “The pandemic produced conditions that increased overdoses and deaths, economic shock, social isolation, and increased mental-health distress, and disrupted ac- cess to addiction support and medications that require face-to-face visits.”
Collins added that Western Mass., in particular, continues to face a shortage of treatment beds, both in the main popula- tion and for those in the criminal-justice system. “When they need treatment facilt- ies, they are often sent to Eastern Mass., which causes another element of being
separated from their families.”
In other words, health and socioeco-
nomic conditions have been colliding in troubling ways.
recovery-based wraparound services for incarcerated black and Latino men with a history of substance abuse who are at risk of fatal overdoses upon release.
Digging at the Roots
Collins looks at the opioid crisis — as she approaches every issue, in fact — from a collaborative, public-health perspective.
— which are often the first responders to emergency scenes. In addition, the state’s jails have piloted an addiction-treatment program, and now almost one-third of incarcerated individuals receive medication for opioid disorders.
She also focuses on policy — and not just actions on the local level, like Spring- field’s implementation of a syringe-ex- change program to expand harm-reduction
According to the Baker-Polito admin- istration, recent state investments have focused on new intervention efforts among youth and expanded supports for people in recovery, and the administration’s FY 2022 budget proposal includes a total of $375.3 million across state agencies to “ address substance misuse, a 7%
increase over last year.
“The administration con-
tinues to invest millions of
dollars in federal grants toward
new substance-use treatment,
support, intervention, and
education programs, primarily
for residents experiencing the
highest burden of this epidem-
ic, including those in commu-
nities of color and individuals
with a history of homelessness
or incarceration,” the administration noted.
Most recently, this includes a combined $9.4 million for high-school substance-use and mental-health response teams, youth substance-use prevention programs, and support services for young adults in recov- ery. Additionally, $2.3 million in federal grants will fund a re-entry pilot to provide
The pandemic produced conditions that increased overdoses and deaths, economic shock, social isolation,
and increased mental-health distress, and disrupted access to addiction support and medications that require face-to-face visits.”
U.S. SEN. EDWARD MARKEY
As she spoke at Markey’s forum, she listed several broad categories of response.
One is treating the opioid crisis as a health issue, not as a crime, which involves everything from integrating behavioral- health and addiction services into primary- care health centers to educating and supplying naloxone to police departments
services. “Our experts here are asking for
a federal commission to look at outdated regulations, particularly with regard to methadone, which really is a lifesaving intervention, which we feel should be avail- able in the primary-care care setting, as well as through mobile health-access points for treatment.”
YMCA OF GREATER SPRINGFIELD HEALTHY | SAFE | CLEAN
RE
NEW
ENERGIZE
ACTIVATE
DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD YMCA
1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA P: 413.739.6951
SCANTIC VALLEY YMCA
45 Post Office Park, Wilbraham, MA www.springfieldy.org
P: 413.596.2749
Offer expires May 31, 2021.
Call our Education Department for all of your childcare and camp needs 413.739.6955
26 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM MAY/JUNE 2021
MENTION THIS AD
FOR A FREE WEEK!