Post-overdose follow-up in the community with peer recovery specialists: The Lake Superior Diversion and Substance Use Response Team

Bradley Ray; Jessica McCarthy-Nickila; Nicholas Richardson; Jeffrey Maahs

doi:10.1016/j.dadr.2023.100139

Post-overdose follow-up in the community with peer recovery specialists: The Lake Superior Diversion and Substance Use Response Team

Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2023 Feb 1:6:100139. doi: 10.1016/j.dadr.2023.100139. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Bradley Ray¹, Jessica McCarthy-Nickila², Nicholas Richardson¹, Jeffrey Maahs³

Affiliations

¹ RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
² Duluth Police Department, 2030N Arlington Ave, Duluth, MN 55811, USA.
³ University of Minnesota Duluth, Studies in Justice, Culture, & Social Change, 1123 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812, USA.

Abstract

Background: As the overdose epidemic continues to worsen, nonfatal overdose calls for service represent a critical touchpoint for intervention. While most studies have focused on law enforcement led post-overdose follow-up, the current study describes the programmatic characteristics and outcomes of a non-law enforcement post overdose program comprised of peer specialists embedded within a local police department.

Methods: We examined information on 341 follow-up responses occurring over a 16-month study period using administrative data. We assessed programmatic characteristics including demographic information on clients, referral source, engagement type, and goal completion.

Results: The results indicate that over 60% of client referrals ended in the goal of in-person contact. Of those, about 80% went on to complete an engagement goal with the peer specialist. We found no significant variation in client demographics and referral source or follow-up engagement (in-person or not); however, client referrals from law enforcement first responders, the most common source, are significantly less likely to result in an in-person contact, though, if contact is made, similarly likely to complete an engagement goal.

Conclusions: Post overdose response programs that do not involve law enforcement are exceedingly rare. Given that some research has shown that police involvement in post overdose response can have unexpected, associated harms, it is important to assess the effectiveness of post overdose programs that do not involve the police. Findings here suggest that this type of program is successful at locating and engaging community members into recovery support services who have experienced an overdose.