Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
Drug overdoses are a leading cause of death in Philadelphia, 80% of which involve opioids. Despite the rising number of overdoses, an increased proportion of persons are refusing transport to the hospital by first responders following a non-fatal overdose. Augmenting First Responder Services proposes to enhance first responder services through the implementation of a specialized Overdose Response Unit. This multidisciplinary unit will consist of a medic, peer specialist and a social services expert, and will provide overdose education, naloxone, harm reduction information and treatment resources to individuals who refuse transport. The Overdose Response Unit will also be responsible for following-up and providing linkage-to-treatment services for individuals interested in treatment, as well as engaging the community in the ZIP code with the greatest burden of overdoses with overdose education and naloxone distribution. Because the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), which runs the city’s overworked emergency medical services (EMS), is challenged by both limited data analysis and first responder burnout, Augmenting First Responder Services will also provide PFD with analytic support and resiliency training.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
