Collaborative Post-Overdose Outreach Efforts to Engage Unhoused Individuals

• In Event: Lightning Talk: New Frontiers of Research on Housing Instability, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Systems

Abstract

The increasing severity of the opioid crisis has led to a host of federal, state, and local efforts to reduce opioid use disorder and fatal overdoses. One such approach is to proactively engage those who have experienced an overdose and refer them to social services. Since February of 2020, the Tempe Police Department (TPD) and La Frontera EMPACT, a social service outreach organization, have collaborated to engage in post-overdose outreach for those who have previously overdosed to inform them of potential services that could be beneficial, such as substance use treatment and other services (e.g., housing, counseling, food stamps). Because of an increase in the number of unhoused individuals experiencing an overdose over the course of the project, in January of 2024, there was an added focus on engaging unhoused individuals who have previously overdosed. The present study describes these efforts, the working relationship between TPD and La Frontera EMPACT, and some of the qualitative data from interactions between the post-overdose outreach team and unhoused individuals who have previously overdosed. The overlap between opioid use disorder and homelessness requires innovative and collaborative efforts to address the associated harms. The findings provide a framework for implementing a collaborative post-overdose outreach team.

Author

• Seth Watts, Arizona State University