Monday, May 12, 2025
5/12/2025
Limiting overdose in Southern Maine: A community centered, data-driven approach - The Portland Public Health Division within the City of Portland, Maine has selected to apply for Component A of the Overdose Data to Action: Limiting Overdose through Collaborative Actions in Localities (OD2A: LOCAL) grant funding opportunity. Please note, the Portland Public Health Division is not applying for optional Components B or C. Portland Public Health’s Harm Reduction Program aims to provide safer use supplies for people who use drugs, keeping them safe from infections and potential overdose. The Harm Reduction Program within the Portland Public Health Division serves residents in Cumberland and York Counties. Over the past several years we have outpaced our overdose rates from the year and are unfortunately on track to do so again this year as well. If awarded, the Harm Reduction Program aims to limit overdose through collaborative actions in localities/ counties to use data to drive actions that reduce overdose morbidity and mortality within the communities in which we serve, with a primary focus on opioids and/or stimulants. The proposed five year project aims to expand our harm reduction services within Portland as well as outside of Portland, bridging the gap with other community providers within Cumberland and York Counties who work with people who use drugs, ultimately working to reduce the number of overdoses we’re seeing in our community. In order to make sizable change, we will continue to work and expand current relationships with multiple organizations to reach our overall programmatic goals. A key component of this proposed project involves data collection and sharing. Currently, there are no streamlined processes for sharing of information related to fatal and nonfatal overdoses, naloxone use and distribution, and other harm reduction supply distribution across Cumberland and York Counties. We have developed a partnership with the Catherine Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine (USM), which is staffed by experts with extensive experience in substance use program evaluation and research. They have committed to being a subcontractor in our grant application. We also plan to work with other community-based organizations throughout our catchment area, in addition to police and safety departments within the region, to expand harm reduction education and resource distribution, and to track patient linkage to and retention in substance use treatment programs. This project would help to expand and sustain our currently provided services throughout Southern Maine. This project aims to bring together behavioral health liaisons within police departments, health care agencies in which our SSP clients seek care, and other community organizations across Southern Maine working with people who use drugs to reduce health inequities. There is a great need to close gaps and understand barriers in access to substance use treatment for this population by tracking linkage to and retention in care while also establishing a robust overdose surveillance infrastructure. The anticipated outcomes of this five year project are to decrease nonfatal and fatal drug overdoses, reduce health inequities related to overdose by closing gaps in access to care and services, and work closely with community partners in order to strengthen and better integrate harm reduction strategies while also improving linkage and retention in services. In addition, the Portland Public Health Division aims to develop a successful overdose surveillance infrastructure that can address emerging drug threats. The Harm Reduction Program will work closely with the Research and Evaluation Program (REP) within Portland Public Health and with the USM Cutler Institute to develop tracking measures to determine the effectiveness and success of the project.
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).