ABQ Times

Albuquerque Community Safety's Opioid Education & Prevention Program (OEP) is actively addressing the opioid crisis with a strategy focused on prevention, intervention, and recovery. The OEP team, composed of three Certified Peer Support Workers, assists individuals battling addiction by connecting them to treatment facilities. The team continues providing support by helping with housing, employment, social services, and forming support groups, fostering a stable recovery environment.

Over the past year, OEP has engaged with over 200 individuals, including Angela Sanchez, who was living in her car and struggling with addiction. With the help of OEP, Angela transitioned into Turning Point Recovery Center, then moved to Choice Recovery Path. Angela appreciates the collaborative efforts of various organizations in her recovery, stating, "Through faith, community support, and the compassionate services of Albuquerque Community Safety, Gateway Center, Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Turning Point Recovery Center, and Choice Recovery Path, I have reclaimed my life and stepped into a future filled with hope."

The City of Albuquerque is slated to receive approximately $80 million in opioid settlement funds, which may expand the OEP program. Jasmine Desiderio, Deputy Director of ACS’s Violence Prevention & Intervention Division, emphasized the impact of these investments, saying, "Investing in the Opioid Education & Prevention Program will help expand our proven ability to remove people from cycles of addiction."

Mayor Tim Keller also highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting, "We see the devastating effects of the opioid crisis every day on our streets, and we need more treatment options and services to turn the tide." He supports utilizing the settlement funds to extend effective programs like the peer support workers of the Community Safety initiative.

The OEP operates under ACS’s Violence Prevention & Intervention Division. More information can be found on Albuquerque Community Safety’s website.

Albuquerque Community Safety serves as the third branch of public safety in the city, responding to calls that involve behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. ACS Responders can be requested by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.