New Partnership Boosts Access to Overdose Emergency Kits for DV Victims Statewide

A shot of empty buildings along West 8th Street in Jamestown, New York.Photo byPhoto by J.M. Lesinski

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul recently celebrated the increased accessibility of free Overdose Emergency Kits for domestic violence shelters and service providers all across New York state, following a newly forged partnership between the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV), the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).

“The opioid and overdose epidemic has impacted far too many New Yorkers,” Hochul stated of the partnership. “Alongside harm reduction, preventive, and treatment support programs, the expanded access to lifesaving overdose emergency kits in domestic violence programs will save lives, and we will continue to focus State resources towards addressing the overdose epidemic effectively and compassionately.”

The accessibility to these kits is made available by Project COPE (Community Overdose Prevention Education), a grant-based initiative of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

“While New York is a leader when it comes to survivor-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive resources and services for survivors of intimate partner violence, we are always looking for new ways to help them on their healing journeys,” commented OPDV Executive Director Kelli Owens of the partnership. “Giving our provider partners these Emergency Overdose Kits, and the training to use them, helps to show survivors we are committed to their well-being and overall health.”

Domestic violence and substance abuse research has long shown a correlation between the two, with domestic abuse survivors experiencing unique risk factors that put them especially vulnerable to overdose. This partnership aims to help reach this unique group who may not otherwise have access to these life-saving kits.

“People in domestic violence situations can be at an increased risk for substance use, and it is important that we work to reach them with information and resources to help them stay safe,” remarked OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham of the partnership. “The naloxone included in these kits is one of the most important tools we have to prevent overdose deaths, and by working with our partners to make this medication more accessible, it will help to save lives across New York State.”

Overdose Emergency Kits can be wall-mounted and contain naloxone, the medicine crucial to reversing an opioid overdose. Also included are further training resources for the administration of naloxone.

“The intersection between domestic violence and the opioid epidemic creates multifaceted challenges for both survivors seeking safety and the domestic violence provider community who are committed to helping survivors,” OCFS Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden noted of the partnership. “With the provision of these free Emergency Overdose Kits, coupled with the requisite training and resources, domestic violence providers will have the ability to respond to opioid emergencies and save lives.”

New York has already distributed roughly 700,000 Overdose Emergency Kits over the past 18 months, with many coming via the state’s first-in-the-nation online ordering portal.

“As a domestic violence provider, Haven House has seen the impact of the opioid epidemic,” Director of Victim Services at Child and Family Services of Erie County Tiffany Pavone said of the partnership. “Drug dependency increases the risk of being used and many abusers use substance use as a control mechanism. The overdose prevention training and emergency kits will help ensure our advocates, both at our shelter and in the community, are prepared to recognize a potential overdose and provide life saving measures when needed.”