Q&A
Breakdown of spending by program and prioritization of high-need areas
0:35:54
ยท
149 sec
Council Member Linda Lee inquires about the detailed breakdown of spending per program and the prioritization of high-need areas like the Bronx and Staten Island. Dr. Rebecca Linn-Walton explains how funds are allocated and how program effectiveness is measured.
- Programs and RFPs prioritize populations with the highest rates of overdose deaths
- Multiple metrics are used to measure effectiveness, including overdose mortality rates, connections to care, and housing placements
- Specific efforts are made to target communities with the highest needs, such as the South Bronx
Linda Lee
0:35:54
Okay.
0:35:54
But either way, across the board, 50,000,000 annually, I get that part.
0:35:58
But then so far, if I'm adding up all the costs to these programs, it's about 69.8.
0:36:02
So I just kinda wanted to go through a little bit more in detail about the breakdown per program.
0:36:08
And, also, I'm very curious to know about the ZIP codes and the areas because as we know, the Bronx and Staten Island I know you mentioned Staten Island in your report, but the Bronx also has an incredibly high number of, overdose deaths.
0:36:20
And so I just wanted to know if, we could sort of speak to which neighborhoods and populations are receiving priority.
0:36:29
So how they're like, which ones are receiving priority?
0:36:31
And also, how are you measuring whether the funds are effectively reducing overdoses, which you sort of alluded to a little bit, and improving recovery outcomes in those high need areas?
Dr. Rebecca Linn- Walton
0:36:42
Absolutely.
0:36:42
So why don't I start and then pass it off to my colleagues so they could speak about their own programs.
0:36:47
So how we're looking at it, all of our, programming RFPs are happening, prioritizing those populations with highest rates of overdose deaths.
0:36:56
We also all of our relay hospitals are selected in communities of highest rates of overdose deaths, and how we're looking at whether our programs are effective is that at a bunch of different levels.
0:37:06
We're looking at overdose mortality in those communities.
0:37:10
Are we seeing numbers go down?
0:37:12
We're also looking at are we making more connections to care that the syringe services programs, part of their work is to help get people on to long go long lasting care if they want to.
0:37:22
Are we being effective in getting people into those programs as well?
0:37:26
Are we getting people housing?
0:37:28
We're really trying to look at it from, you know, a life perspective rather than just looking at our rates of overdose going down.
0:37:35
So we are starting to see those numbers go down, but we're also looking at are we getting enough naloxone kits into those communities of highest needs so that we are gonna start seeing people.
0:37:46
We can't just do blanketed across the city because that may not have enough effect on the South Bronx, which you mentioned, for example.
0:37:52
And so we're looking at what is the threshold we need to be meeting to get naloxone kits.
0:37:57
And also, most importantly, how are we engaging people who are not currently in treatment through our relay programs, through our SSP program SSP programs.
0:38:05
We wanna be looking at the population who is persistently having nonfatal overdoses.
0:38:11
We wanna switch that and help them have no more overdoses and be engaged in care.
0:38:15
So we're trying to look at all of those different factors to see that we're starting to see those numbers go down and why.
0:38:21
I hope that answered your question from the help of the