This fall, as the Opioid epidemic becomes a statewide crisis, the city of Lakewood is debuting a new program, dubbed project “Supporting Opiate Addiction Recovery,” or SOAR, to make rehabilitation more accessible and effective. Speaking on the WVIZ/PBS public affairs show Ideas, Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers explained that the new initiatives,
“…will focus on rapid intervention of somebody who has just overdosed; creating a link to a peer (that’s someone who is in recovery themselves); providing critical information, empathy, support and encouragement to seek rehabilitation help.”
Beyond new “peer support specialists,” the city also plans to have SOAR team members visit the homes of patients within a week of their overdose, and to ensure that patients that respond can always swiftly receive treatment in rehab centers. Finally, Lakewood hopes that it’s programs can become a model for other Ohio communities, as the state works together to combat the disease of addiction.