As communities worry about a second spike in COVID-19, many are overlooking the current spike in substance use disorder (SUD). Prolonged social isolation, heightened anxiety and depression, and a national rise in unemployment create a perfect storm for opioid and substance misuse.

In fact, studies show that as unemployment increases by 1 percent, opioid-related ED visits and deaths increase by 7 and 3.6 percent, respectively. In addition, first responders nationwide are reporting up to a 300 percent increase in opioid overdoses since social distancing practices began.

Join us as our speakers share strategies for getting ahead of the epidemic through proactive collaboration and improved follow-up. They have pioneered a number of efforts in the world of SUD care—including ED bridge programs, maternal health and neo-natal abstinence syndrome care, and more—to help curb traditionally high opioid and SUD rates in Kentucky and greater Appalachia.

You'll Learn:

• Understand the impact of COVID-19 on rising cases of substance use disorder and the care and cost benefits of successfully addressing it
• Learn strategies for identifying patients with SUD and collaborating care with MAT facilities
• Prepare hospitals, MAT and behavioral health clinics, and communities for the increase in patients with SUD—without overly taxing resources needed for addressing COVID-19