Data for this performance measure will come from the North Carolina Opioid Action Plan dashboard.

**NOTE: At this time, the North Carolina Opioid Action Plan dashboard includes overall numbers drug overdose deaths per North Carolina County; goal is to obtain and include disaggregated data by race/ethnicity and gender for Buncombe County.

Story Behind the Indicator data was gathered from: community partners/providers, those impacted the most/those with lived experience, and Buncombe County residents.

What’s Helping? - Substance Misuse

• “Buncombe is resource rich comparatively”
• “There are a lot of mental health/substance use/addictions professionals working in this area”
• “Outreach to vulnerable, at-risk groups”
• “Community health workers are bridging a lot of gaps, especially when everything was shut down”
• Peer supports - those with lived substance use experience
• Expanding Harm Reduction philosophy 
• CARE Team (cross-sector collaborative of substance use professionals, government, emergency response, and those with lived experience)
• Acccess to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
• Expanded distribution of Naloxone and overdose reveral kits
• Safe syringe access (and other harm reduction services)

What’s Hurting? - Substance Misuse

• “Stigma”
• “Waitlists for certain types of detox and treatment centers - particularly for methamphetamine use”
• “Insurance access barriers and costs”
• “Systemic racism within healthcare systems – we need more culturally aware service providers”
• “High cost of living and poverty creates housing instability which negatively influences mental health and addiction”
• "Medicaid barriers and insurance costs"
• "Not enough safe sober living options available to meet the needs of the community"
• "Systemic racism and reasonable distrust in systems of oppression"
• "Impacts of social determinants of health"
• "Crisis burnout and secondary traumatic stress exposure (peer supports)"

Partners in our Community Health Improvement Process:  

• VAYA 
• North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness
• WNC Healthy Impact

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

• Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness
• Umoja Health, Wellness, and Justice Collective
• Other certified peer support agencies in Buncombe County
• Buncombe County Emergency Management Services - including Community Paramedicine and Post-Overdose Response Teams
• RHA Mobile Crisis and Behavioral Health Crisis Center services

Strategies Considered input was gathered from: community partners/providers, those impacted the most/those with lived experience, and Buncombe County residents.

What Works to Do Better?

• Talking about it - reducing public stigma and increasing personal education/awareness
• Embedding certified Peer Support Specialists within existing service delivery models
• Lanuage Justice - more Spanish speaking peer supports, counselors, healthcare providers
• Safe, supervised use sites - or similar harm reduction models
• Expand systems to support with immediate access to recovery services, detox/treatment, and recovery housing
• Dismantling white supremacy culture within healthcare and social services institutions
• Creating systems and services that are equity-driven 
• Understanding root causes for substance use - systemic racism, oppression, and trauma 

Process data was gathered from a variety of community-driven sources, including those with lived experience, those most impacted by the focus health condition, those providing services/support in the community, professionals/organizations with a role to play, and the 40+ agencies that represent the Buncombe County CHIP Advisory.