The Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County (FDOH-PBC) requests $16,750,000 over five years from CDC’s Overdose Data to Action (OD2A): Local (CDC-RFA-CE-23-0003). By the end of the five-year performance period (9/1/23-8/31/28), it is projected that the funded project will have reduced fatal and non-fatal overdoses by 20%. DOH-PBC is seeking funding for Component A: Core Prevention and Surveillance Strategies, Component B: Drug Product/Paraphernalia Testing, including the optional activity, Improving Medical Examiner and Coroner Investigations of Drug Overdose Deaths, and Component C: Linkages to and Retention in Care Surveillance.
Funding will support strategies in components A, B, and C. The funded work will build on the first phase funded by CDC’s OD2A (CDC-RFA-CE19-1904) and continue the county-wide collaborative with Health Council of Southeast Florida (HCSEF), Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network (LORHN), Rebel Recovery, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR), Healthcare District (HCD), Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO), local hospitals, and others.
During the five-year performance period, DOH-PBC and partners will expand on the work supported by the first phase of OD2A funding. All work will include measurable outputs and outcomes proposed in the project workplan and evaluation plan for each Component (A, B, C).
(1) DOH-PBC will build surveillance infrastructure, processes, and collaboration with local health systems and other sources of overdose data to understand data on fatal and non-fatal overdoses (opioids, stimulants, novel psychoactive substances, other drugs). Surveillance will include all people experiencing overdoses but will include analysis of communities that experience the highest burden from health disparities, systemic racism, social determinants of health, and disproportionate rates of overdose. This work corresponds to Component A.
(2) The funded work will improve retention in care and systems of recovery, using navigators, physician and provider education, and public communications about resources. Linkages to and retention in care will be tracked using new surveillance methods. (Component A, Component C)
(3) The funded work will expand equitable access to naloxone, fentanyl testing strips, syringe exchange services, and other harm reduction that high-risk drug use practices, and improve the overall health of PWUD, with a focus on reducing fatal and nonfatal overdoses, with an emphasis on eliminating health disparities. (Component A)
(4) The funded work will empanel an overdose fatality review (OFR) committee, including representatives from multiple partner agencies. The OFR will conduct in-depth analysis of cases, using data collected from multiple sources. (Component A)
(5) The funded work will educate physicians and other providers on CDC guideline-concordant prescribing, best practices in pain management, use of Florida’s prescription data management program (PDMP), and screening, treatment, and referral for substance use disorder. (Component A)
(6) The funded work will implement toxicology testing to ensure rapid identification of trends in the illicit drug supply and improved response to risks. (Component B)
(7) The funded work will deploy harm reduction tactics, stigma reduction tactics, and culturally relevant approaches. This will be foundational to all activities in Component A, Component B, and Component C.
Through each of our efforts, we aim to reduce health disparities and advance health equity, reducing fatal and nonfatal overdoses among our historically underserved priority populations who are disproportionately affected by overdose.