The 3rd Annual Ohio Deflection Training Summit (2024) was held from January 24th - 26th in Cincinnati, OH.
Panel: Fire and EMS-led Deflection: Post-overdose Outreach in North Carolina and Wisconsin
Description:
Although first responder deflection initiatives focused on responding to community opioid use have historically been started and led by law enforcement, the number of fire and emergency medical service-led deflection efforts has grown. Community paramedicine through fire and emergency medical services departments are playing a pivotal role in addressing the opioid crisis through post-overdose outreach initiatives that respond to individuals after a nonfatal overdose. These programs have increasingly included the use of community paramedics and have also been providing critical lifesaving intervention in the form of medications for opioid use disorder. This panel will highlight two community paramedicine programs: Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Healthcare in North Carolina and the West Allis Fire Department Mobile Integrated Healthcare in Wisconsin.
The goal of Cape Fear Valley’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare is to improve patient care by providing community paramedics to serve as an advocate for their patients. This includes assistance scheduling appointments, managing medications, navigating health systems, and establishing plans for ongoing care. Cape Fear Valley community paramedics respond with 911 paramedics to overdose calls and then follow up with the individual within 48 to 72 hours to offer linkages to treatment and recovery services and to address other challenges the individual might have. The program has expanded to include licensed clinical social workers and peer support specialists to support post-overdose outreach with paramedics.
The West Allis Fire Department’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare program (MIH) provides one-on-one care between a community paramedic and residents who have shown a high reliance on emergency medical
services and individuals identified to be at risk of substance use disorder. Their main goal is to be proactive in patients’ needs, thereby lowering the cost of unneeded medical stays in the hospital, closing healthcare gaps, and helping better utilize department and community resources. This approach improves patient healthcare outcomes and assists in emergency prevention. After treating a resident for an overdose, a community paramedic and a peer support specialist will return the next day to have a conversation about health and recovery.
Presenters
• Lizzie Lewandowski, Program Manager, TASC's Center for Health and Justice
• Jason Schaak, Assistant Chief, Division of Community Risk Reduction, West Allis Fire Department
• Tara Tucker, Community Paramedic, Cumberland EMS - Mobile Integrated Health
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