Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Improving Awareness Of Opiate Support Programs In Lamoille County, Samantha Bissonette

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Despite Vermont having doubled the rate per 10,000 people ages 18 to 64 receiving Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opiate Use Disorder (OUD) since 2012, there are still numerous barriers preventing patients from seeking treatment, including confusion about how to go about entering a treatment program, fear of stigma, and many others. Lamoille County has started to expand outreach to people struggling with OUD by having emergency services personnel, outpatient medical offices, and recovery centers hand out a county-specific information card with clear information about how to enter treatment and support programs. This project builds upon this existing initiative.