City’s Opioid Education & Prevention Program Is Changing Lives
ALBUQUERQUE – Albuquerque Community Safety’s (ACS) Opioid Education & Prevention Program (OEP) is working to combat the opioid crisis through a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, intervention, and recovery.
A small but impactful team of three Certified Peer Support Workers, the OEP peers engage individuals caught in cycles of addiction and connect them to treatment services. The OEP team supports individuals in recovery and advocates for public health solutions to addiction.
While an individual is receiving treatment, the OEP team continues to support their path to a stable life. This includes connecting them to housing, jobs, social services, support groups, and more. Recovery is strengthened by ongoing mentorship so no one feels alone in their journey. The team also trains businesses and community members in naloxone use and services available, helping prepare them to respond during and after an overdose emergency.
In the past year, OEP has engaged with over 200 individuals, including Angela Sanchez. Angela was referred to OEP four months ago while she was battling addiction and living in her car. OEP peers worked to get Angela into Turning Point Recovery Center, and then transition her to Choice Recovery Path.
“Through faith, community support, and the compassionate services of Albuquerque Community Safety, Gateway Center, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Turning Point Recovery Center, and Choice Recovery Path, I have reclaimed my life and stepped into a future filled with hope,” said Angela Sanchez, who is currently in an outpatient program and working at a restaurant.
The City is set to receive around $80 million in opioid settlement funds to fight addiction. These funds could be used to expand the OEP program, building on their success and providing support to more people affected by addiction.
"Investing in the Opioid Education & Prevention Program will help expand our proven ability to remove people from cycles of addiction," said Jasmine Desiderio, Deputy Director of ACS’s Violence Prevention & Intervention Division. "These funds will strengthen the City's ability to address the opioid crisis in a successful, sustainable, and compassionate way."
"We see the devastating effects of the opioid crisis every day on our streets, and we need more treatment options and services to turn the tide,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “With opioid settlement funds, we have the opportunity to expand the programs making a difference, like our Community Safety peer support workers, so those struggling with addiction don’t have to walk the path to recovery alone."
The OEP is part of ACS’s Violence Prevention & Intervention Division. For more information on Albuquerque Community Safety’s Violence Prevention & Intervention Division, visit http://www.cabq.gov/acs/vpi
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Albuquerque Community Safety is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.