Contact:
Lauren Rosenbaum
media@omni.org
303.839.9422
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2022
NEW VIRGINIA STATE OPIOID RESPONSE GRANT REPORT SHOWS MISUSE OF OPIOIDS IN THE PAST 30 DAYS DECREASED BY 60% FOR THOSE RECEIVING GRANT-FUNDED SERVICES
EVALUATION REPORT PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL INITIATIVES RESPONDING TO
OPIOID AND STIMULANT USE DISORDERS
RICHMOND, VA — A new report released by OMNI Institute, evaluation partner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, details a 60% decrease in misuse of any opioids in the past 30 days by participants in Virginia’s State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant-funded program. These participants accessed a variety of treatment and recovery services according to the best fit for their needs. The three most commonly utilized services are Medication-Assisted Treatment, counseling, and peer support.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
MAT uses prescription medications such as buprenorphine, which, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “helps diminish the effects of physical dependency to opioids, such as withdrawal symptoms and cravings.” SOR treatment funding provides critical support to individuals receiving MAT services.
Counseling and Behavioral Therapies
Counseling and behavioral therapies in Virginia’s SOR Grant-funded program include individual and group counseling, psychiatry services, and crisis support. MAT is more effective when counseling and other behavioral health therapies are included to provide patients with a whole-person approach. For some individuals who are not utilizing MAT, counseling is the main component of services they are receiving.
Peer Support
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services is investing heavily in innovative peer support programs that reach individuals in emergency departments, harm reduction centers, jails, community centers, and college campuses. Peer recovery specialists are professionally trained to utilize their lived experience with mental health and substance use disorders to provide a wide range of services including individual and group support, crisis services, and referrals. Research shows that the support of peers is consistently effective in improving the lives of those in or working toward recovery.
“The integration of MAT, counseling services, peer support, and other resources enables people to engage in the set of modalities that work best to meet their unique needs as an individual,” says Jenna Lee Mathews, one of OMNI Institute’s lead researchers on the Virginia SOR Grant Evaluation. “The 60% decrease in misuse of any opioids in the past 30 days by participants in Virginia’s SOR grant-funded programs is a testament to the state’s investment across the continuum of behavioral health care and its commitment to making substance use disorder services available and accessible to the Virginians who need them.”
“Curbing the opioid crisis in Virginia has been one of our top priorities, even before the COVID-19 pandemic brought alarming new trends in overdoses,” said DBHDS Commissioner Nelson Smith. “Now, more than ever, the work to expand treatment access, increase prevention and community coalitions, and deploy multi-year federal SOR grants is critical as we work to reverse these trends. This new data gives us great hope for what treatment and recovery services can do for those that are able to access them.”
Access the full report here.
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About OMNI Institute
OMNI Institute is a nonprofit social science consultancy that provides integrated research, evaluation, and capacity-building services to foster understanding, guide collaboration, and inform action to accelerate positive social change focused on children and families, community and behavioral health, economic security, and adult and juvenile justice. Founded in 1976, OMNI Institute has honed a nationally recognized service delivery model that is focused on rigorous research and application of best practices, authentic engagement with clients and their vested partners, and the cross-systems expertise and insights needed to address complex social issues. To learn more, visit www.omni.org.
About the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) seeks to promote dignity, choice, recovery, and the highest possible level of participation in work, relationships, and all aspects of community life for individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities or substance-use disorders. DBHDS operates 12 state facilities and partners with 40 locally-run community services boards and hundreds of private providers statewide. For more information, please visit www.dbhds.virginia.gov.