Post-Overdose Outreach Program in Massachusetts

Post-overdose outreach programs contact non-fatal overdose survivors at home in the days after an overdose to offer overdose prevention and addiction treatment services to survivors and their family members. They are typically staffed as public safety-public health partnerships. Programs have emerged within communities with surging overdoses because non-fatal overdose is a strong indicator of subsequent fatal overdose.

In this session, presenters will discuss the study they conducted of programs in Massachusetts with four aims: (1) describe the emergence of these programs, (2) understand best practices, unintended consequences, and implementation barriers and facilitators, (3) compare overdose rates in municipalities with and without programs and key characteristics associated with reduced overdoses, and (4) develop best practice guidance based on our findings and a review of the literature. The study aims used mixed-methods: (1) a 2019 comprehensive survey sent to 157 screener-identified post-overdose outreach programs across Massachusetts, (2) 52 in-depth qualitative interviews with law enforcement, public health partners, overdose survivors, and social network members, (3) an interrupted time-series analysis examining the impact of post-overdose outreach programs and program characteristics on overdose deaths over time, and (4) a modified Delphi panel of assembled experts to create best practice guidance useful for public health departments and the further development of post-overdose outreach programs.

Presenters will detail the major findings, including how these programs have emerged and developed to respond to the overdose crisis, services they offer, team make-up and roles, how overdose rates have changed in communities with programs, and results from the best practice guidelines.