Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP): A Model for University/Community Partnerships

Abstract

There were over 700 overdoses and 180 deaths from opioids in Guilford County, NC in 2017. The Guilford Solution to the Opioid Problem (GSTOP) project leverages funds allocated by the STOP-Act to design, implement, and evaluate a rapid response program intended to decrease mortality from opioid overdoses. The program engages citizens who overdose in harm reduction practices, distributes naloxone kits to high-risk users, conducts community health education, coordinates community resources through the CURE Triad collaborative, and builds relationships focused on ending opioid overdose. This presentation will review the development of the partnership between Guilford County Emergency Medical Services and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro that has resulted in the GSTOP demonstration project. The presentation included background on the opioid epidemic in Guilford County, the development of CURE Triad (a community coalition to address overdoses) and the implementation of GSTOP, the unique features of hosting such a program within a university, the evaluation design, and preliminary outcomes of the program.