SUBSTANCE USE IN THE MEDIA
Adventist Health Clear Lake Offers Expanded Treatment Options for
Opioid Dependency
Originally Published By Lake County News
Public Health Institute's (PHI) California Bridge program aims to integrate addiction treatment into
standard medical practice, increasing access to treatment to save lives. A California Bridge program grant
to the Adventist Health hospital in rural Clear Lake, California is helping expand their Medication Assisted
Treatment program for patients suffering from opioid addiction.
Adventist Health hospital in rural Clear Lake, California is helping expand their Medication
Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for patients suffering from opioid addiction. With help
from PHI’s California Bridge program, the hospital is able to treat people with medication for
addiction in the emergency department as they enter care and help them coordinate the
treatment they need after discharge from the hospital.
Tina Allen, a a substance use navigator at Adventist Health said, “For the first time, instead of just
discharging a patient from the emergency department we will be able to provide an opportunity for them
to get into recovery and connected to services the same day or next day.”
Hope Rising Continues SafeRx Opioid Prevention With Help of
AmeriCorps VISTA
Thursday, June 04, 2020 (Clearlake, CA) – Hope Rising Lake County is continuing the fight against opioid
use disorder with AmeriCorps VISTA, Rebecca Schwartz. Ms. Schwartz spearheads SafeRx Lake County’s
Naloxone overdose reversal training and distribution program which has successfully contributed to 40
overdose reversals in 2020.
Since August of 2019, SafeRx has distributed 1,281 free prepackaged Naloxone nasal spray kits at 7
community events and 17 private organization trainings including Rotary Clubs, Lake County Child Welfare,
Kelseyville High School and Upper Lake Middle School. “We are most proud of getting naloxone into the
schools and training teachers and staff,” says Schwartz. “Companies and organizations believe having
naloxone around might be useful. Not only does it save lives, it keeps our community safer overall.”
The current goal of the SafeRx program is to educate the general public about the opioid crisis and the
benefits of naloxone. Training and distribution of naloxone kits since the program’s inception have
numbered over 2,200. “It always warms my heart when we hand out more kits than there are people in
the room. One of my favorite memories is handing out 100 kits after we trained 40-50 people.” Many
people who receive training will take and extra kit to have on hand.
Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. It can very quickly restore normal
respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or
opioid medications. In some cases it can prevent someone who is having an overdose from dying.
“Naloxone is very safe. It is impossible to get high from naloxone. It is even safe on babies and dogs. If you
administer naloxone to someone who you thought was overdosing but wasn't, it will not make their
condition any worse. If you use it on a healthy person it will have no affects. Naloxone can only help, not
hurt.”
While working with Hope Rising, Schwartz has created marketing materials for Medicine Assisted
Treatment programs, an addiction treatment locator website ( SafeRx/Recovery Now
Portal: http://www.hoperisinglc.org/SafeRX) a monthly SafeRx newsletter, and stigma training materials
for private organizations.
###
About Hope Rising
Hope Rising serves as a neutral convener to bring together leaders in our county to identify issues, develop
innovative solutions, and implement agreed-upon actions with accountability and measurable outcomes.
Hope Rising acts to raise, manage and disburse funds. Additionally, Hope Rising provides facilitation and
project management support to drive the work forward and keep projects on track, ensuring active
engagement of stakeholders and a focus on outcomes. Learn more about Hope Rising
at http://www.hoperisinglc.org/
AmeriCorps VISTA
Thursday, June 04, 2020 (Clearlake, CA) – Hope Rising Lake County is continuing the fight against opioid
use disorder with AmeriCorps VISTA, Rebecca Schwartz. Ms. Schwartz spearheads SafeRx Lake County’s
Naloxone overdose reversal training and distribution program which has successfully contributed to 40
overdose reversals in 2020.
Since August of 2019, SafeRx has distributed 1,281 free prepackaged Naloxone nasal spray kits at 7
community events and 17 private organization trainings including Rotary Clubs, Lake County Child Welfare,
Kelseyville High School and Upper Lake Middle School. “We are most proud of getting naloxone into the
schools and training teachers and staff,” says Schwartz. “Companies and organizations believe having
naloxone around might be useful. Not only does it save lives, it keeps our community safer overall.”
The current goal of the SafeRx program is to educate the general public about the opioid crisis and the
benefits of naloxone. Training and distribution of naloxone kits since the program’s inception have
numbered over 2,200. “It always warms my heart when we hand out more kits than there are people in
the room. One of my favorite memories is handing out 100 kits after we trained 40-50 people.” Many
people who receive training will take and extra kit to have on hand.
Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. It can very quickly restore normal
respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or
opioid medications. In some cases it can prevent someone who is having an overdose from dying.
“Naloxone is very safe. It is impossible to get high from naloxone. It is even safe on babies and dogs. If you
administer naloxone to someone who you thought was overdosing but wasn't, it will not make their
condition any worse. If you use it on a healthy person it will have no affects. Naloxone can only help, not
hurt.”
While working with Hope Rising, Schwartz has created marketing materials for Medicine Assisted
Treatment programs, an addiction treatment locator website ( SafeRx/Recovery Now
Portal: http://www.hoperisinglc.org/SafeRX) a monthly SafeRx newsletter, and stigma training materials
for private organizations.
###
About Hope Rising
Hope Rising serves as a neutral convener to bring together leaders in our county to identify issues, develop
innovative solutions, and implement agreed-upon actions with accountability and measurable outcomes.
Hope Rising acts to raise, manage and disburse funds. Additionally, Hope Rising provides facilitation and
project management support to drive the work forward and keep projects on track, ensuring active
engagement of stakeholders and a focus on outcomes. Learn more about Hope Rising
at http://www.hoperisinglc.org/
