The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) continues its efforts to address the opioid epidemic by opening two new opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Houma and Bogalusa, increasing the total number of Louisiana OTPs to 12. From 400 to 1,200 people each month, he increases access to treatment services.
Selected by LDH’s Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) behavioral health group Operate the new facility following a competitive public offering and a thorough review of provider qualifications. OTPs are allowed to dispense methadone as part of clinically monitored Opioid Use Disorders (MOUD), which is considered the gold standard of treatment for opioid use disorders.
The facility is scheduled to open in June. They are located at:
- 1812 Prospect Blvd., Houma (Region 3: South Central Louisiana)
- 412 Ave. B, Bogartha (Region 9: Florida Parish)
“The opioid epidemic has plagued Louisiana with immeasurable loss for years. Not only in the lives of people we have lost, but also in the breakdown of relationships with family and friends. “Approximately a quarter of Louisiana residents taking medication for opioid use disorders live more than a 35-mile radius from an opioid treatment provider. It is one of three goals we have identified in our efforts to improve access to treatment and quality of care for people with disabilities. 2022 business plan“
“We know the rate of death from opioid overdose is rising rapidly, impacting our friends, loved ones, families and communities like never before in Louisiana and across the nation. Washington Diocese alone. The mortality rate in I-Bogalusa is devastating,” said I-Bogalusa MP Malinda White. “We know access to treatment services is essential if Louisiana wants to lower its mortality rate. By giving people suffering from substance use disorders the opportunity to get the help they need when they need it, we can help ensure Louisiana’s overdose death rate is low.”
The number of fatal overdoses involving opioids is steadily increasing in Louisiana. According to the latest data from Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System (LODSS), which collects coroner-certified data, opioid-related deaths increased 67% from 588 in 2019 to 982 in 2020. From 2012 to 2020, opioid-related deaths increased by 514%.
Over the past year, LDH has identified a critical need to expand OTP in regions experiencing severe challenges through the opioid epidemic. Based on the data collected from LODSS, LDH has selected new OTP locations based on the most needed regions.
LODSS is made possible in partnership with the LDH Public Health Service, Health Information Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
“The Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services (SCLHSA), together with the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Behavioral Health, understands that opioid addiction is a complex medical problem and provides effective evidence-based treatment options for opioid addiction. We are dedicated to doing that,” said SCLHSA Executive Director Lisa Schilling. “SCLHSA is proud to welcome Behavioral Health Group to Houma’s Region 3 to dispense methadone as part of the pharmacotherapy for clinically monitored opioid use disorder (MOUD). It will be the perfect complement to our office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs at all four SCLHSA clinics in , Houma, LaPlace, Morgan City and Raceland.”
To find help for yourself or a loved one about treating opioid use disorders, visit: opioidhelpla.org Also ldh.la.gov/Addictive Disorders.
