Researchers at ISER’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS) have been tracking data on distribution and use of Narcan® rescue kits supplied to the general public through the State of Alaska's Project Hope program. Rebecca Porter, Kathryn Davis and Bridget Hanson are the authors of two infographics that reflect data collected from 2017 through 2019. The report on Narcan® use in Alaska showed that 299 lives have been saved by using a rescue kit. That number is likely even higher, say researchers.
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A new paper by CBHRS researchers Dr. Bridget Hanson and Becky Porter describes experiences of Alaskans using naloxone to prevent opioid overdose in their peers. Participants described naloxone as easy to use and effective in reversing overdose. They emphasized the need to have naloxone widely available in order to prevent overdose death.
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CBHRS researchers are evaluating Project HOPE, the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services’ Narcan® distribution and overdose education program. Narcan® is a nasal spray medication that reverses opioid overdose. The public distribution of opioid overdose rescue kits is a best practice strategy to reduce opioid-related deaths.
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Researchers from ISER's Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS) shared work evaluating Alaska's response to the opioid crisis at the recent meeting of the American Evaluation Association held in Minneapolis, MN.
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Diane King, Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS) within ISER, along with Bridget Hanson, Research Associate Professor and Alexandra Edwards, Research Professional, recently attended the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Grantee Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting, hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focused on sharing innovative practices and disseminating findings from across the country related to preventing and addressing FASDs.
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Researchers in ISER’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS) conducted interviews with individuals who use heroin to explore ways individuals began opioid use and how their use progressed over time. Their report found that few participants began use with heroin but transitioned to heroin due to increased cost and reduced availability of prescription opioids.
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Becky Porter and Bridget Hanson, researchers at ISER’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS), collected information from providers of prenatal care in Hawaii on the challenges of delivering SBIRT, an evidenced-based practice to identify patients who misuse alcohol and help them reduce their drinking. The practice can both help prevent alcohol use during pregnancy and prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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The Partnerships for Success Project is a five-year project intended to prevent and reduce non-medical use of prescription opioids, as well as use of heroin, among Alaskans ages 12 to 25. The state’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is carrying out the project, working with community coalitions that develop local prevention strategies.
DHSS contracted with ISER’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services to evaluate the project. Bridget Hanson, the evaluation director, and Jodi Barnett, the lead project evaluator, talk about their work so far, to establish a baseline for measuring the project’s success over time.