Minutes from 01/28/2020
Shield NC Meeting
Guest Speakers: Nicole Singletary and Justin Garrity
Attendees:
Nicole Bernard, Director, Shield NC
Lance Olive, Vice President, Board of Directors, Shield NC
Nicole Singletary, Drug and Injury Prevention Manager, Wake County
Justin Garrity, Rapid Response Administrator, Healing Transitions
Jim Ahler
Frances Bisby
Steven Bodhaine
Rhonda Jewell
Josh Komis
John Letteney
Mike Merker
Niki Miller
Matt Mitchell
Kenneth Ragland
Terri Reed
Kristofer Shuart
Brittney Travis
Annette Williamson
Lance Olive opened the meeting. He talked about sending out emails to other individuals who might be interested in Shield NC. He introduced the first speaker, Nicole Singletary. Nicole is a Drug and Injury Prevention Manager with Wake County. She is part of the Wake County Drug Overdose Prevention and Tobacco Use Initiative/Rapid Response Program.
Nicole shared information about the increase in unintentional opioid poisoning deaths in Wake County from 2013-2017, as well as the increase in ED visits. She touched briefly on the 894% increase in E-cigarette usage among NC high schoolers between 2011– 2017. However, it is hopeful that number will decrease with a new law coming into effect, which raises the sale and consumption of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age.
Nicole is also a member of the Wake County Drug Overdose Prevention Coalition which meets quarterly. The five goals of the coalition are: education and outreach as well as access to Naloxone; Data Analytics; syringe exchange; recovery initiative and maintenance; and first responders. The goal of education and outreach is to conduct drug use and overdose prevention education and outreach with a focus on vulnerable populations. They create pocket guides and distribute the material to the community. They also improve access to Naloxone kits, to prevent deaths from drug overdoses. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist used for the complete or partial reversal of opioid overdose.
Data analytics collects and applies data to better use interventions and measure prevention efforts. The data collected is used to obtain grant funding for the program. The coalition also supports syringe exchange programs that reduce the spread of disease by making sure syringes are available as well as Naloxone. Anyone can ask for Naloxone at a pharmacy without a prescription but s/he has to pay for it.
The Coalition also provides recovery initiation and maintenance by providing 24 – 72 hour follow-up to those in need of specialized care and recovery resources. It was birthed in April 2013. The Coalition identifies and supports community-based treatments that meet the needs of substance users. This includes training for fire fighters and law enforcement.
Nicole pointed out they realized they were doing good work but needed to do more so they established the Rapid Response Team and also partnered with contracted agencies to address tobacco use. They recognized that tobacco was a gateway drug to other more harmful substances. They partnered with Quitline NC, Poe Center for Health Education, NC Harm Reduction Coalition, Recovery Communities of NC and Healing Transitions.
The Rapid Response Program receives incoming referrals from Wake County EMS, Sheriff’s Office, and Public Health Clinics. Two certified peer support specialists provide on call services to non-fatal overdose survivors in Wake County. Once an individual in need is identified, a Rapid Responder contacts him/her, provides support, and connects him/her to community resources.
Rapid Response Team outputs from 1/1/2018 – 6/30/2019, had 1,072 Paramedic encounters for substances, had 495 clients engaged by Certified Peer Support Specialists, 321 clients referred to services by CPSS, 895 clients contacted by Injury Prevention Nurse in field-based settings, and 436 opiod overdoses received narcan (EMS). The team had an overall show rate of 79% for those clients contacted for further services.
Nicole introduced Justin Garrity as the next speaker. Justin, a Rapid Response Administrator, with the Rapid Response Team, works with Healing Transitions. Justin shared some of his own history and how he got involved with Healing Transitions. He has experienced firsthand homelessness and addictions to heroin and crack cocaine. He went into Healing Transitions and became one of their success stories.
Healing Transitions is a community that offers innovative peer-based recovery oriented services to homeless, uninsured and underserved individuals suffering from alcohol and other drug addictions. Their program’s purpose is to rekindle a person’s desire to return to a meaningful and productive life. A person that lands at Healing Transitions may stay in the program 12-14-18 months. It offers living accommodations and provides a line of hope to those with substance abuse disorders.
Justin shared there are three different levels of addiction; mild, moderate and severe. A person experiencing severe addiction cannot stop but is often in and out of recovery, has little to no transportation, may be homeless and have legal problems. An individual with mild addictions, such as alcoholism, may still function at a high level in society without others being aware.
Currently, there are 700 people in Healing Transitions’ database. Seventy percent are white, 57% are male, and 61% are 25-44 years of age. Healing Transitions is a good landing spot that offers a line of hope to those who are desperate and struggle with survival. Justin encouraged everyone to visit.
Nicole Singletary can be reached at Nicole.Singletary@wakegov.com or 919-250-1187.. She encouraged all to visit http://www.wakegov.com/humanservices/publichealth/coalition/Pages/default.aspx.