Overdose Data to Action Grant Success Story Highlight

Below are two success stories from clients who were a part of Health Impact Ohio’s Overdose Data to Action project. These success stories show the various ways our CHWs were able to connect their clients to the services they needed through the various stages of their journey to recovery.

Community Health Worker Profile Project

Health Impact Ohio continued its Community Health Worker (CHW) Profile Project, interviewing various Central Ohio Pathways HUB CHWs on their experiences and successes.

This month, Health Impact Ohio's HUB Project Manager, Mary Mutegi, interviewed Earl Lawson, a CHW at Wellness First. Earl spoke about his success in connecting his clients to behavioral health services and the importance of education for both clients and CHWs.

Use the button below to listen to Andrea Boxill speak in a Dispatch presents Columbus Conversations: "What is the state of the opioid crisis in our community?" 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31

Dr. Anahi Ortiz is the Franklin County coroner.

It appears now that we are past the eye of the COVID-19 storm, but the damage from the past two-and-a-half years certainly remains.

Differently from a natural storm that takes down trees, powerlines and buildings, it’s the health and wellness of our loved ones that the pandemic battered.

In early August of this year, my office released its 2021 Drug Overdose Fatalities Data Brief showing that the number of overdose deaths in Franklin County remains in line with 2020 levels. That’s when Franklin County saw a record 859 overdose deaths — a stunning 54% increase from the previous record year (556 in 2019).

None of us knew exactly what 2021 would bring, but in a year where life looked much closer to normal for many of us, 825 more of our fellow county residents lost their lives to overdose.

This deadly problem persists, and it’s not just in Franklin County. In 2021, Cuyahoga County also saw a record number of overdose deaths and, based on projections, 2022 is expected to be even worse.

People ask me all the time for my analysis of the issues our people are facing; My short answer is that it’s complex.

It’s clear that the isolation, job loss, uncertainty and fear that COVID-19 brought have had impacts we still haven’t been able to shake. On top of all that, 2021 saw a deadly new development in street drugs: More and more are laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is much cheaper and exponentially more potent than other more commonly used drugs.

In 2019, Health Impact Ohio (HIO) was the fortunate sub-recipient of Franklin County Public Health’s (FCPH) award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Overdose Data to Action Grant. The grant was for $3.9 million per year for three years to help the community fight the opiate epidemic. The goals of the grant were to focus on high-quality, comprehensive, and timely data related to the epidemic’s impact and to utilize the data to inform prevention and response efforts within the local community. These efforts included numerous community engagement strategy sessions, focusing on breaking down silos and opening lines of communication so that we can wrap our services around those who could benefit from them in a holistic way rather than part in parcel.

As a sub-recipient for this grant, HIO had the distinct privilege and opportunity to utilize the Community Pathways HUB model to support those navigating their lives in recovery. The Community Health Workers (CHWs) assisting these individuals were able to substantially support their ability to get their feet underneath them, but also have a trusted resource walking alongside them as they walked through the journey they found themselves in.

Resources on How to Obtain Free Fentanyl Test Strips and Narcan or Naloxone