The opioid epidemic is easing in the Albuquerque area and more help is on the way, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
Health launched the Golden Opportunity public health initiative on Oct. 14 to prevent overdose deaths in Bernalillo County through community support.
“The Golden Opportunity is a new program in Bernalillo County, but the concept and idea has been around in other states, and other paramedics and first responders have tried it with success. Santa Fe has also started this program,” NMHealth Northwest Region Director Dominic Rodriguez told the NM Political Report.
The program seeks to help those who had overdoses reversed by Narcan after a 911 call and who are able to have another medication, such as buprenorphine, administered by paramedics to help them remain in recovery and then get the person into long-term recovery, Rodriguez said.
“Some patients will be able to go that route. Others, because of their overall vital signs and stability, may still require transport to the hospital, but for a certain percentage of folks we will be able to take them directly to community partners that can help support them through their recovery,” he said.
The program includes collaboration from Albuquerque Community Safety, Bernalillo County CARE Campus, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Albuquerque Ambulance Service, Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue, Courageous Transformations, Duke City Recovery Toolbox, Casa de Salud, and New Mexico Department of Health Public Health Offices.
The Golden Opportunity could be used as a pilot program for other communities across the state to implement, Rodriguez said.
“But just like any other chronic disease that you’re battling, you need lots of community partners,” Rodriguez said. “You need lots of different approaches. This one’s unique because it finds people at the point of overdose, where, in some instances, they had a near death experience, and allows them to be connected to treatment that they might need for recovery.”
New Mexico is expected to report its first year-to-year decrease in overdose deaths since 2021, NMHealth Secretary Patrick Allen said in a press release.
“Our goal is to provide a compassionate, community-based response to opioid addiction,” Albuquerque Fire Rescue Chief Emily Jaramillo said in the press release. “It’s about offering the right help at the right time and ensuring that people have access to the resources they need to turn things around.”
Part of what has helped prior to the Golden Opportunity program was community awareness of the opioid crisis and what community members can do to help those overdosing.
This includes the more prevalent access to Narcan nasal spray as an over the counter remedy of opioid overdose.
“So we’re really excited to see the numbers move a little bit, but definitely acknowledge that in that success, I think it just highlights that when we are looking at this problem and working together, that we’re able to make a difference, but know that we have a lot of work to do for New Mexicans,” Rodriguez said.
The most important part of the program is the participating organizations’ collaborative efforts, Rodriguez said.
“No one organization can really tackle any health issue alone, and particularly with opioid use disorders, we’re excited to have the partnerships with these and look to grow that partnership to really expand access to even more New Mexicans that need it,” he said.
Call the NMHealth Helpline at 1-833-796-8773 for more information.