The "Story Behind the Curve" helps us understand why the data on people dying from opioid and drug-related deaths is the way that it is in our community. When we understand the root causes of our community problems, we have a better chance of finding the right solutions, together.

What's Helping? These are the positive forces are work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.

• Decreased opioid prescribing/policies in place at Harris Regional to prevent over-prescribing
• Lockboxes available through JCDPH, Harris EMS, and Jackson County Dept on Aging
• Relationship with law enforcement and other agencies to hold Operation Medicine Drop events
• Narcan kits available through JCDPH to local law enforcement and Harris EMS
• Medication Assisted Treatment
• Opioid Settlement funding to counties

What's Hurting? These are the negative forces are work in our community and beyond that influence this issue in our community.

• Residents don't know who or what to turn to if they or loved ones are battling addiction
• Don't believe they are at risk or don't understand risk of overdose
• "Not in my backyard" mentality
• Stigma
• Lack of treatment and recovery services in Jackson County and WNC
• Services have long wait times to getting in
• Not having health insurance

Partners in our Community Health Improvement Process:

• Jackson County Department of Public Health
• Area Agency on Aging
• Harris Regional Hospital
• Jackson County Department on Aging
• Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department
• Jackson County Public Schools
• Jackson County Cooperative Extension
• Jackson County Public Library
• HIGHTS
• Great Smokies Health Foundation
• Nurse-Family Partnership
• Safe Kids Jackson County
• Western Carolina University
• WNC Healthy Impact

Partners With a Role in Helping Our Community Do Better on This Issue:

• Behavioral and mental health providers (Ex. Meridian Behavioral Health Services)
• Clean Slate Coalition
• Community members with a vested interest
• Dogwood Trust
• Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
• Faith-based community
• Local government (town & county commissioners)
• Law enforcement
• Medical professionals
• MountainWise
• Parents
• Tobacco Prevention Control Branch
• Those in recovery and with lived experience
• Western Carolina University
• Vecinos Farmworker Health Program

The following actions have been identified by the School Health Advisory Council and community members as ideas for what can work for our community to make a difference on unintentional poisonings.

Actions and Approaches Identified by Our Partners

These are actions and approaches that our partners think can make a difference on substance use.

• Education in schools, communities, and churches
• Community and political involvement and buy-in
• Trauma-informed community
• Integrated care
• Media campaigns
• Access for those in the Medicaid gap
• Jail ministry
• Decreased opioid prescribing
• Community medication drop boxes
• Lockboxes
• Narcan available
• Drug courts in juvenile justice system
• Diversion contracts for youth
• Medication Assisted Treatment
• Syringe Exchange Services
• Provider education

What is Currently Working in Our Community

These are actions and approaches that are currently in place in our community to make a difference on substance use. 

• Safe Kids Jackson County
• WNC Teen Institute
• Operation Medicine Drop events
• Permanent dropbox at Jackson County Sheriff's Office 
• Permanent dropbox at Walgreens in Sylva
• Permanent dropbox at CVS in Sylva
• Media campaigns
• Senior Seminar
• Naloxone distribution through Harris EMS and local law enforcement
• Naloxone training through Harris EMS

Evidence-Based Strategies

These are actions and approaches that have been shown to make a difference on substance use

What Community Members Most Affected by unintentional poisonings Say 

These are the actions and approaches recommended by members of our community who are most affected by substance use. 

• Better, more affordable, more accessible treatment is needed
• Community needs to become trauma informed
• Social determinants of health need to be addressed and improved
• Opioid Settlement funding must be spent and spent wisely

Process for Selecting Priority Strategies

During our group process, the following criteria were used to select priority health issues for our community to focus on in the next three years:

• Criteria 1 – How important or relevant is this issue?
  • Size & severity of the problem
  • Urgency to solve the problem
  • Focus on equity
  • Linked to other important issues
• Criteria 2 – What will we get out of addressing this issue or how impactful is it?
  • Availability of solutions/proven strategies
  • Builds on or enhances current work
  • Significant consequences of not addressing issue now
• Criteria 3 – Can we adequately address this issue?
  • Availability of resources (staff, community partners, time, money, equipment) to address the issue
  • Political capacity/will
  • Community/social acceptability
  • Appropriate socio-culturally
  • Ethical
  • Can identify short-term, easy wins