Governor Hochul Expands Access to Lifesaving Overdose Emergency Kits in Domestic Violence Programs Across New York

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that domestic violence shelters and service providers across New York State will now have access to free Overdose Emergency Kits following a partnership between the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The kits are made possible by Project COPE (Community Overdose Prevention Education), a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant-funded initiative.

"The opioid and overdose epidemic has impacted far too many New Yorkers," Governor Hochulsaid. "Alongside harm reduction, preventive, and treatment support programs, the expanded access to lifesaving overdose emergency kits in domestic violence programswill save lives, and we will continue to focus State resources towards addressing the overdose epidemic effectively and compassionately."

This initiative continues Governor Hochul's aggressive, ongoing efforts to address the opioid and overdose epidemic. Over the past 18 months, New York has distributed nearly 700,000 Overdose Emergency Kits statewide, including many through New York's first-in-the-nation online ordering portal.

An Overdose Emergency Kit is a wall-mounted metal box that contains naloxone, the medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. As part of this new initiative, residential domestic violence providers can place a kit in their shelters so that residents and staff have access to this life saving medication. Also included in the boxes are training resources for administering naloxone. Additionally, Project COPE is offering free training for domestic violence program staff on harm reduction and overdose prevention.

Research has repeatedly shown a strong correlation between domestic violence and substance use. One example is through substance use coercion, a prevalent but underrecognized form of abuse that poses a significant danger to survivors. Additionally, studies show people who are abused are more likely to use substances as a way to cope with abuse related trauma and physical harm. Survivors experience unique risk factors that put them at increased risk of overdose, including pervasive social stigmas towards both survivors and substance use that can cause major barriers to accessing care. This means many survivors are unable to obtain lifesaving overdose prevention tools like naloxone. Domestic violence programs are uniquely poised to bridge this gap through offering naloxone onsite to survivors.

Through this partnership, OPDV, OASAS and OCFS hope to reach survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence who may otherwise never have access to lifesaving resources like naloxone due to the numerous barriers they face.

In addition to this effort, New York is continuing to address the opioid and overdose epidemic by:

• Leading the nation by making more than $335 million in opioid settlement funding available to support a full continuum of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery initiatives in New York State. This funding is being distributed in accordance with the priorities of the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board. More information on the initiatives this funding is supporting is available here.
• Creating mobile units that bring services directly to people in their communities, offering admission assessments and medication induction for all types of MAT, medication administration and observation, toxicology tests, and other medical services. They are designed to reach people who face barriers accessing traditional brick-and-mortar locations.
• Deploying outreach and engagement services support teams that connect high-risk individuals and populations to harm reduction and treatment services and provide health education.
• Establishing Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to provide an array of coordinated services to address substance use and/or mental health, including crisis intervention, screening and assessments, and treatment planning.
• Opening crisis stabilization centers to provide support, assistance, and urgent access to care for individuals experiencing a crisis situation related to substance use and/or a mental health condition. These programs assist individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, "People in domestic violence situations can be at an increased risk for substance use, and it is important that we work to reach them with information and resources to help them stay safe. The naloxone included in these kits is one of the most important tools we have to prevent overdose deaths, and by working with our partners to make this medication more accessible, it will help to save lives across New York State."

OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Maddensaid, "The intersection between domestic violence and the opioid epidemic creates multifaceted challenges for both survivors seeking safety and the domestic violence provider community who are committed to helping survivors. With the provision of these free Emergency Overdose Kits, coupled with the requisite training and resources, domestic violence providers will have the ability to respond to opioid emergencies and save lives."

OPDV Executive Director KelliOwenssaid,"While New York is a leader when it comes to survivor-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive resources and services for survivors of intimate partner violence, we are always looking for new ways to help them on their healing journeys. Giving our provider partners these Emergency Overdose Kits, and the training to use them, helps to show survivors we are committed to their well-being and overall health."

Director of Victim Services at Child and Family Services of Erie CountyTiffany Pavone said, "As a domestic violence provider, Haven House has seen the impact of the opioid epidemic. Drug dependency increases the risk of being used and many abusers use substance use as a control mechanism. The overdose prevention training and emergency kits will help ensure our advocates, both at our shelter and in the community, are prepared to recognize a potential overdose and provide life saving measures when needed."

Executive Director of the New York State Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceConnie Neal said, "Through Project COPE, domestic violence advocacy programs across the State of New York will receive expanded access to overdose prevention training and resources. Far too many survivors of domestic violence experience significant trauma and are often at greater risk of substance use. Many survivors are also coerced into substance use as a tactic of domestic violence. Without a doubt, the critical lifesaving tools and strategies for harm reduction and overdose prevention will make a tremendous difference for countless survivors of domestic violence in our State."

AVP of Harm Reduction at Evergreen Health SystemEmma Fabian said, "It is welcome good news that domestic violence shelters across the State will be equipped with Naloxone. During this unprecedented overdose crisis, we need to employ every available option for reducing harm and death, especially in environments where vulnerable individuals and families are receiving care. Based on the intersections of substance use, social determinants of health, and trauma, this is a population that should have readily available tools like Naloxone."

Deputy Director of Mothers & Babies Perinatal NetworkChristie Finch said, "Providing life-saving overdose prevention supplies makes sense for everyone. The new moms that we work with are extremely thankful for these free supplies and to learn how to use them, who is at risk of accidental overdose (including children who may inadvertently access medication not intended for them), and how to keep themselves and their families safe. Offering access to overdose prevention supplies in domestic violence shelters, where families are vulnerable and may be potentially exposed to potentially dangerous coping strategies, is the next step in equitable access to this life-saving medication."

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Contact the Governor's Press Office