Thursday, May 2, 2024
5/2/2024
The opioid epidemic is a pressing public health issue in the United States, and Dallas, Texas, is not immune to its impact. Dallas County has witnessed a sharp rise in opioid-related overdose fatalities, which makes it a crucial location for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Opioid Data to Action (OD2A) program. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported an alarming 87.5% increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths from 2019 to 2020. While Dallas County has followed the national trend in reducing opioid prescriptions, the rate of overdose deaths involving fentanyl has continued to rise, leading to a concatenate rise in synthetic opioid overdoses. A complicating factor is that Dallas County does not currently have a clinical or environmental opioid surveillance system. Providing these services would benefit the diverse population in Dallas, helping to improve health equity and address traditionally underserved communities. Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) is applying for Components A and C funding to create and expand our substance use disorder prevention efforts throughout the jurisdiction with a special focus on priority zip codes identified in the 2022 CHNA. Under Component A, DCHHS will focus on five (5) strategies outlined throughout this application: (1) a 24/7 Overdose Prevention Hotline and a media campaign advertising the hotline; (2) Opioid Response Team (ORT) expansion by funding three additional ORT teams comprised of one Paramedic and one Peer Support Specialist, enabling the program to operate seven days a week and in the 30 surrounding cities outside the City of Dallas; (3) placement of three (3) peer navigators, two (2) Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors, one (1) Addiction Medicine Physician, and one (1) part-time Linkage to Care Coordinator in Parkland Hospital Emergency Department (Dallas County public hospital); (4) trainings on best practices for using Electronic Health Record systems for pain care treatment and management to other hospitals and clinics within Dallas County; and (5) develop a fentanyl testing and surveillance program in the DCHHS Public Health Laboratory using samples collected from area hospitals and the Dallas County Criminal Justice Division. Dallas County will leverage the help of community partners to execute the proposed activities. Preventative measures that DCHHS will be focusing on will include linkage to and retention in care, harm reduction efforts, stigma reduction efforts, and clinician and health systems best practices. Under Component C, DCHHS proposes a comprehensive and targeted approach to enhance linkage to care (LTC) surveillance in Dallas County, focusing on three key areas: (1) developing a trained public health workforce to collect and analyze data on nonfatal drug overdoses and other entry points for LTC; (2) establishing overdose prevention and linkage to care programs that align with the identified entry points for LTC surveillance; and (3) addressing social and structural barriers to care for substance use disorder.
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).
