SUD/Brain Injury & Mental Health Interagency Task Force

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The opioid crisis has led to a second “silent epidemic” of brain injuries nationwide and here in NH.  For every overdose death, there are approximately fifty overdose survivors, 90% of whom become impaired because of insufficient oxygen to the brain.  Brain injury is a little-known offshoot of NH’s drug crisis – but the connection between drug overdose and brain injury is real.  

In January 2019, the Brain Injury Association of NH assembled an interagency task force to develop a strategic plan to raise awareness of the connection between drug overdose and brain injury, develop educational resources and implement trainings to help with the prevention of brain injury and to improve the identification and treatment protocols for drug overdose survivors who sustain a brain injury.   The task force developed a plan focused on 3 target audiences: 

• Those on the front lines of the opioid epidemic (first responders, ER physicians and substance misuse counselors)
• Families and caregivers
• Teens   

Since then, the task force has continued to meet to identify opportunities to implement the plan and look for additional funding resources.  Outcomes to date include:

• Developing a 2-sided “rack card” with information on resources for a suspected brain injury and actions to take in an overdose situation.  We’ve worked with partners like the Seacoast Public Health Network and NH Fire Academy and Emergency Medical Services to distribute the cards to families along with opioid overdose kits and to other target audiences
• Participating in speaking engagements to educate organizations like the Seacoast Public Health Network Advisory Council and NH Providers Association about the link between brain injury and opioid overdose
• Holding professional development sessions with leading experts like Dr. John Corrigan at Ohio State University to learn of existing resources that can be used by other organizations providing training on this topic
• Working with organizations like the NH Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Office of Student Wellness/Dept. of Education to raise awareness of this epidemic among young adults and student athletes
• Starting conversations with the medical community about using a universal screening tool to help those on the front lines of opioid overdose identify signs of a potential brain injury