Healing Cortland is a community-wide initiative to better understand and improve opioid-related outcomes in Cortland County. Using a data-driven approach, the project’s goal is to reduce fatal and nonfatal overdoses, expand access to prevention and harm reduction resources, lessen stigma around opioid use, and help develop a more responsive treatment and recovery infrastructure.

In doing so, the Healing Cortland initiative will support the adoption of evidence-based practices that better serve the prevention, treatment, and recovery needs of the county. Healing Cortland is currently taking part in the the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), which runs from July 1, 2022 until December 31, 2023. The Healing Cortland initiative will take lessons learned from the HCS to create a sustainable approach that serves Cortland County after this grant-funded project is over. By bringing together partners from the community, the initiative will foster a proactive framework for collecting timely data, sharing analysis across agencies, and better responding to opioid-related trends that impact the people of Cortland County.

The Healing Cortland Advisory Board helped to guide and support the development of Healing Cortland from 2020-early 2022. In July 2022, the Opioid Task Force was officially created to oversee HC activities.

The Opioid Task Force & Workgroups

The Cortland County Opioid Task Force was formed in summer 2022. Four full group OTF meetings have been held to bring stakeholders together. Meetings are on pause until late Fall as we get the workgroups off the ground.

Lived Experience Workgroup – This is an open workgroup of people with lived experience that meets monthly to give feedback on the project and on what has and has not been working. We understand lived experience broadly: people who use drugs, people who are in recovery, people who have lost family or friends because of drug-related harms, and others directly impacted. For more information, visit our page dedicated to this.

Naloxone Distribution Workgroup – This group has been meeting since summer 2020 and has been bringing local and regional stakeholders together to better coordinate the distribution of naloxone in Cortland County. Our goal is to work to enhance this work and to fill gaps in order to ensure those most in need receive access to this life-saving medication. The workgroup is now meeting bi-weekly over Zoom.

MOUD Workgroup – The MOUD (medication for opioid use disorder, also sometimes called MAT, medication-assisted treatment) workgroup is looking at data from local service providers and will be selecting evidence-based strategies. The workgroup is responsible for recommending at least 3 of the required strategies in the areas of expanding access to treatment, increasing linkage to care, and increasing retention on MOUD).

Communications Workgroup – This workgroup is responsible for guiding communication and partnership efforts necessary to deliver opioid education messages with a clear, consistent, and amplifying voice in our community. The Workgroup is focused on the development and delivery of opioid education campaigns and materials. It is responsible for the 1st large-scale communications campaign focused on Naloxone & Fentanyl Awareness that will run this fall.

The workgroups report to the Leadership Team.

To get meeting information or be added to the email list, contact Aster.

Community Background & History of This Work

In the last 20 years, the US opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of over half a million people and impacted countless others. Cortland County has not escaped these devastating effects. From 2015 to 2017, the number of Cortland County admissions to opioid treatment programs rose from 217 to 340. This figure declined to 131 by 2019, but the county’s annual admission rate (per 1000,000) has exceeded the New York State rate in every year since 2012 (excluding NYC). Of particular note, Cortland County had an overdose death rate of 29.3, nearly 10 points higher than the New York State rate (19.8 per 100,000). As the intensity of opioid related challenges grows, it has become increasingly apparent that no single entity or institution can address all the challenges this epidemic presents. Therefore, we need a community working together across multiple sectors and strategies to reduce the number of people exposed to opioid misuse.

In 2015, CACTC was awarded the Partnership for Success (PFS) Grant through the NY State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (OASAS). CACTC received a total of $627,300 over 4 ½ years with the goal of reducing prescription drug, heroin and opiate use and misuse amongst 12-25 year olds in Cortland County. Cortland County was one of ten communities awarded the PFS grant in New York State. CACTC partners collaborated on addressing the growing opioid epidemic here in Cortland County by strengthening and enhancing existing efforts such as the annual medication disposal events, increasing access to naloxone, creating countywide awareness campaigns, and increased partnerships with physicians and local law enforcement agencies. 

Since 2015, the Cortland County Health Department has increased the distribution and training for naloxone kits to community members. Over 1,000 kits have been distributed since 2016. In addition, there has been an increase in the awareness of naloxone. In September 2020, Family & Children’s Counseling Services began a push to increase naloxone to clients and community members, especially those at highest risk of overdose. The Center of Treatment Innovation (COTI) Program which is expanding access to medication for Opioid Use Disorder, counseling, peer services and case management is also now taking a lead on naloxone outreach. By providing mobile outreach, they are also able to address transportation and other barriers. 

The Cortland County Drug Disposal program has increased capacity significantly since 2015, collecting more prescription drugs every year since the beginning of the PFS grant project. Five permanent Drug Take Back Kiosks have been installed at all police departments (Homer, City of Cortland, SUNY Cortland and Sheriff’s Office) as well as at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center. In 2020, two permanent Sharps Disposal Kiosks were installed outside of the Homer Police Department and City Hall in Cortland.

Guthrie Cortland Medical Center has taken an active role in reducing opioid prescribing and has increased opioid related services in the hospital. By 2018, they have cut ER opioid prescribing by almost half. Naloxone is being dispensed in the ER, as well as buprenorphine. Local primary care providers are also taking an increasingly active role in addressing the issue. Family Health Network is now offering buprenorphine and referrals to counseling through a partnership with Family & Children’s Counseling Services.

The Cortland County Community Services Board has made substance use treatment and prevention its number one priority outcome in the Cortland County comprehensive plan. The Cortland County Health Department has also made substance use a priority area in line with the NYS Prevention Agenda. 

In 2019, Cortland County was chosen to participate in the HEALing Communities Study. We are excited to continue enhancing the work being done in Cortland County and across the region. In July 2022, we officially entered the implementation phase of the HCS project. During this 18-month period, agencies from across the community will work together to select and implement evidence-based strategies to reduce overdose deaths.