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Two pilot programs in Travis County could help people with opioid addiction. With $932,000 in federal funding, Travis County will implement peer support programs in a hospital emergency room and courthouses.
Peer support programs employ people with first-hand experience and specialized training. The county will primarily use the funds to hire six additional peer support specialists for a two-year period.
The Travis County Coroner’s Office reported that drug overdoses were the leading cause of accidental deaths in 2023. Most cases were caused by fentanyl or methamphetamine. The number of fentanyl deaths increased from 22 in 2019 to 279 in 2023.
“The goal of these programs is to help curb the ongoing and worsening opioid crisis in our community,” said Courtney Lucas, interim strategic advisor for Travis County Health & Human Services.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin helped secure the federal funding. “To address the opioid crisis in our society and ensure that people suffering from addiction can successfully participate in drug prevention programs, we need a comprehensive approach from local, state and federal governments,” Doggett said.
As part of the pilot project, one peer support specialist will work in the Parents in Recovery/Family Drug Treatment Court, which is part of Travis County’s drug court program. Another will be assigned to either the Criminal Drug Court or the 126th District Court, which handles child welfare cases. Those positions have already been posted, Lucas said.
Read more: ‘A lifesaver’: Emergency services’ opioid detox program helps 500th person get off drugs
The second pilot program has not yet been contracted with a local facility to implement it, Lucas said. Four peer support specialists will help connect people who come to the emergency department with medication-assisted treatment or rehabilitation services. These specialists will continue to follow people after they are discharged from the emergency department.
Both programs are two-year pilot programs.
“This important funding will allow Travis County to implement expanded peer support services that we have never been able to offer before,” said Travis County Judge Andy Brown. “This effort is a critical step forward in combating the opioid overdose epidemic here in our community.”
