With a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Navajo County leaders are working to implement a new approach to preventing overdose.
This funding will be allocated to the county over the next three years to implement the county’s overdose prevention and engagement program. The Navajo County Board of Supervisors unanimously decided to accept the grant in October.
Under the new program, when someone is booked into a county jail, they will be tested for substance abuse and overdose risk. A same-day intervention will be offered to “give them a chance to potentially save,” Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon said.
The program will be guided primarily by what are known as the 10 essential elements of the Opioid Intervention Court, Carlyon said.
In addition to on-site screening for overdose risk, these components include rapid clinical evaluation and access to support services, while participants are screened for compliance by both behavioral health professionals and law enforcement. be monitored.
By diverting more people to treatment, the county expects to reduce drug-related intake in hospitals.
“We hope it will reduce the burden on the emergency room in particular,” says Carrion.
Substance abuse is often exacerbated by other issues, such as mental health, and Carrion hopes to address those issues as well. will be provided with peer support services, and the county will also consider ways to incorporate housing assistance.
When applying for the grant, county leaders found that overdose data records for both Navajo County and Arizona were incomplete, said Dawn Wilson, the county’s criminal justice coordinator. made it particularly difficult to get an accurate snapshot of the problem, she said.
For example, current overdose data do not track cases of people overdosing and surviving. Wilson said it only tracks overdose deaths. That’s clearly not the full picture, she said.
According to available data, Navajo County experienced 51.2 drug overdoses. fatalities (number) per 100,000 inhabitants. Opioids were the leading cause of his 2020 overdose death. An estimated one-third of those arrested that year were at risk of overdose, and 65% of those in prisons in Navajo County had a diagnosable substance use disorder. said Wilson.
The Navajo County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is working to ensure comprehensive data collection. Wilson heads a council that includes county prosecutors, probation officers, public defenders, and prison representatives.
“We’re trying to set these people up to maximize their chances of becoming productive citizens,” Wilson said.
Contact reporter Lacey Latch in Northern Arizona. llatch@gannett.com or on social media @lace latchNorthern Arizona coverage on azcentral.com and the Republic of Arizona is funded by a grant from the non-profit Report for America and the Vitalyst Health Foundation Associated with the Republic of Arizona.
