July 2, 2024
Good afternoon,
OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham was a guest on The Capitol Pressroom this morning to discuss the recommendations of the NYS Interagency Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic. Below are notes from the interview which we thought may be of interest.
Here is a link to the playback of the show that was broadcast this morning: https://capitolpressroom.org/2024/07/02/improving-government-collaboration-on-opioid-crisis-response/
- Dr. Cunningham agrees there is room for improvement, hearing the work other agencies were doing through the Interagency Task Force on the Opioid Epidemic was helpful to know
- Looking at criminal justice for example, police didn’t expect to be providing naloxone or handling these issues, but they are looking into how OASAS can help prepare them with the needed resources and training
- Their discussions with the Department of Corrections were focused on how to treat opioid and alcohol use disorder with medications, providing support to people in prisons and jail through peer advisement and other resources
- OASAS doesn’t tell people how to practice medicine, they provide guidance. OASAS is a resource for people to understand best practices
- Some jails have been providing medication treatment for years, some have not. They are supporting them and want to focus on working together with agencies to combat this epidemic
- They have found small-scale things to improve from this task force that on a larger scale can have a greater impact. For example, some specialty courts (drug treatment courts) have peer recovery supports that connect people with treatment options, outpatient programs, support groups, etc. They are working to get all courts peers throughout the state
- Some recommendations from the task force don’t need additional funding or regulations, but some will require statutory changes
- Data sharing: May need this to benefit communities (for example there could be overdoses in particular places or how to combine datasets on emergency rooms, law enforcement involvement, opioid deaths) to get a full picture of what’s going on
- Q: How will they keep collaboration between agencies after this task force? Dr. Cunningham believes people want to work on this and are willing to do things differently
- Many people have been touched by this epidemic and she sees a lot of interest from other agencies interested in continuing relationships and working together
- Q: Are there ways that other state agencies can spread awareness about OASAS or provide resources? A: The SUNY system is a great example, they are working with schools and the overall system to make naloxone available to students, to training RAs and other staff, etc.
- Q: Is there a mechanism to make sure these recommendations are followed through on? A: There is no formal structure in place, but OASAS staff continue to reach out and work with staff at other agencies to answer questions and make sure they have what they need and will continue to do so