Update: RHC Investment in Regional Heroin Response Collaborative and Nine Network program

Background:In 2012 the RHC invested $50,000 from its "Access to Care" fund on a special "Regional Heroin Response" initiative coordinated by the United Way of Greater St. Louis[1]. As part of the initiative, the RHC also invested $40,000 of its “core funds” in a partnership with the Nine Network to produce aprime-time, on-air “Heroin Response Town Hall” and a tie-in Stay Tuned broadcast in November 2012. This sixty-minute program aired live on Channel 9 Monday, November 12, 2012, with over 10,000 at-home viewers and over 200 St. Louis community members and RHC stakeholders in attendance. The program was also available on the Nine Network’s “Our Region’s Health” website for online viewing and covered by KSDK news on its 5PM and 6PM, Nov 12 broadcasts.

Outcomes to date[2]:

Treatment Services: As a direct result of the investment to the Regional Heroin Collaborative, Bridgeway Behavioral Health and Preferred Family Healthcare have hired nine full-time employees to increase the number of heroin-addicted individuals served and reduce wait times to enroll individuals in treatment services. In three months (January 1-March 31, 2013), the funding has been used to:

  • Return464 calls within the same day from those seeking treatment for opioid addiction
  • Complete 505 opiate screenings
  • Start 65 individuals on medically-assisted treatment (with 78% successful completion rate to date for out-patient detox)
  • Admit 104individuals to other levels of treatment within seven days of initial contact
  • Refer 191 individuals and engage over half of those individuals in interim services

Education and Prevention:Additionally, as a direct result of these regional investments, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA) has hired one additional full-time employee. This additional FTE has allowed NCADAto double the number ofsponsored outreach events to the community and increase itsreach via social media by over 200%. Additionally, NCADA is currently developing a continuing medical education webinar to train providers on best practices to address prescription opioid abuse andheroin addiction.

Signs of Progress:

National Recognition of St. Louis Efforts: In December 2012, NCADA was awarded the “Outstanding Community Prevention Award” in Washington D.C. by White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske of the Office of National Drug Control Policy for its heroin public awareness campaign, “Not-Even-Once.”

In March 2013, the producer of NBC News’ “Rock Center with Brian Williams” contacted RHC CEO Robert Fruendto inquire about St. Louis’ collaborative efforts to address the region’s deadly heroin epidemic. Having seen the Nine Network program and following a conversation with Mr. Fruend, the producer coordinated a trip to St. Louis to interview key stakeholders in the region and profile ourregional success. The segment will be filmed in April. Specific broadcast information is not yet available. In addition, the success of the Heroin Collaborative has been recognized nationallyand will be featured in Christian Science Monitor and Teen Vogue this summer.

The RHC looks forward to sharing additional outcomes of the Heroin Collaborative following the next steering committee in July 2013.

Regional Heroin Response partners:

  • Bridgeway Behavioral Health
  • Community and Children’s Resource Board of St. Charles
  • Franklin County Community Resource Board
  • Hauck Family Foundation
  • Lutheran Foundation
  • Missouri Foundation for Health
  • National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, St. Louis
  • Nine Network of Public Media
  • Preferred Family Healthcare
  • St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund
  • St. Louis Mental Health Board
  • St. Louis Regional Health Commission
  • State of Missouri, Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
  • United Way of Greater St. Louis, Inc.

[1] The Regional Heroin Response initiative raised $996,000 in total funds in 2012 for treatment services and education and prevention programming.

[2] A comprehensive report of collaborative outcomes to date will be available for distribution in August 2013.