This week on Everyday Injustice, we sit down with LaToya Mitchell, Navigator Project Manager, CA Bridge Program and talked about the innovative program that helps get people from ER into drug treatment and reduce annual drug overdoses.
A few weeks ago, she was part of a rally at the California Capitol to push for a package of bills that would improve access to programs such as the Bridge Navigator Project.
The navigator program allows ER patients to connect with treatment medication and staff immediately.
Mitchell explained, “What most people don’t know is that it is the easiest substance use disorder to treat because medication like buprenorphine, which is commonly known by the brand name Suboxone, acts fast to stop the withdrawals without euphoria and allows the patient to feel like themselves before the addiction.”
Her job is to lower the barriers for patients to receive the treatment.
She said that “there’s a lot of stigma for people who use drugs and that creates barriers like obtaining a Suboxone prescription from big chain pharmacies, so it’s essential that I know which pharmacies are Suboxone friendly and provide that list to the patients.”
Mitchell noted, “We found that with the presence of the navigator, patients felt more comfortable coming in and saying, I’m here because I’m having opioid withdrawals, as opposed to them naming their symptoms and because they were afraid of admitting their substance use. Because of that, we’re able to get them treated and in and out in a couple of hours. Instead of spending six hours in the emergency room getting unnecessary and costly tests, we found that it actually saved resources and a lot of money.”
Listen as Latoya Mitchell discusses the importance of harm reduction and the use of treatment over incarceration.
