Buncombe County nonprofit launches overdose spike alert system & emotional support line
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A Buncombe County nonprofit has launched two tools that put important information and emotional support right at your fingertips.
Buncombe County Overdose Spike Alerts
SeekHealing's Buncombe County Overdose Spike Alerts let subscribers know when there has been an increase in overdoses recently, as well as if officials believe there is a bad batch of drugs going around. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, caused nearly two-thirds (64%) of all drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending April 2021, up 49% from the year before, according to the CDC's 's National Center for Health Statistics.
"There's been a really concerning increase in contaminated drug supply as well as overdoses, particularly during the pandemic," said Jennifer Nicolaisen, executive director of SeekHealing.
Nicolaisen said they launched the spike alerts after a particularly devastating round of overdoses.
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"So implementing the system was born out of a real and present need after witnessing one of those spikes," Nicolaisen said.
Nicolaisen said members of the local harm reduction community would make each other aware when they were seeing a lot of overdoses or suspected fentanyl was going around, but they needed a way to get that information out to the greater community.
"There was a need to get the alerts out of the provider community and into the hands of people who were actually making the decisions and purchasing the substances on a daily basis," Nicolaisen said. "This is a really important piece of public health information for all of us to be aware of, whether it's for people who use those kinds of drugs, whether we love people who use these kinds of drugs, or whether we're just trying to be responsible members of the community."
She said these spike alerts get that information out to people who can put use that information to inform their decisions. SeekHealing gets the information from various community partners, like Mission Hospital's emergency services and Buncombe EMS. A spokesperson for Buncombe County said an alert is issued when 8 or more overdose events are seen within a 24-hour period. The last spike alert went out on Dec. 13, when fentanyl was suspected in heroin and cocaine. Community partners were encouraged to pass out naloxone and fentanyl test strips.
"As we see fentanyl contamination happening in more and more batches and illicit substances, that information is crucially important," Nicolaisen said.
Text the word START to (828) 33-ALERT to subscribe to alerts about contamination in drug supplies in Buncombe County. Nicolaisen emphasizes the alerts are free, encrypted and anonymous.
"We put as much detail as we can as far as what type of batch we believe is contaminated, or if we don't know, that we've just seen a spike in overdoses at Mission Hospital in the last 24 hours and the text just comes straight through to your phone. There's no reply; it's a very simple SMS subscription service," Nicolaisen said.
For more information on the Buncombe County Overdose Spike Alerts, click HERE.
Nicolaisen says SeekHealing's philosophy is centered on community members taking care of each other and having each other's backs. That outlook also inspired another resource: the WNC Listening Line.
WNC Listening Line
The WNC Listening Line is a non-crisis emotional support line that SeekHealing runs in partnership with the Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, thanks to support from the Dogwood Health Trust. The line is manned by trained volunteers from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday. Nicolaisen hopes to someday make it a 24/7 line, but needs more volunteers. Nicolaisen said you don't need any experience in this space to get involved -- just the intention to be supportive and be a good neighbor.
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"The phone numbers for both the person who's answering the phone and who's calling are hidden from both parties so it creates a really safe environment for anyone to just call and get the support they need," Nicolaisen said. "This is just a way for community members during the pandemic, and during everything that we're experiencing here in Buncombe County, to step up and support each other."
To get in touch with the WNC Listening Line, call or text 828-547-4547.
Nicolaisen said the service is meant for anyone in need of emotional support or some form of human connection, as many people continue to struggle with isolation during this latest COVID-19 surge.
"People call a couple times a day just to ask what time it is, or let someone on the listening line staff know that they're going to run and errand or they're going to the doctor -- and it just really highlights the level of loneliness that a lot of people are living with," she said.
For more information on the WNC Listening Line and how to get involved, click HERE.
Joshua Ginsberg is a professional software engineer who created the systems for the Buncombe County Overdose Spike Alerts and the WNC Listening Line. He said we know that technology cannot replace human connection -- but he admires how SeekHealing leverages technology to improve communication during times of isolation.
"It's really beautiful the way that SeekHealing's relationship to technology has been more around supporting human connection, rather than replacing human connection," Ginsberg said.
He said a big piece in developing both of these systems was to ensure the complete anonymity of those who subscribe to the alerts or call the WNC Listening Line, because establishing trust is crucial.
Ginsberg said the idea for the Buncombe County Overdose Spike Alerts is very innovative and unlike anything he's ever seen. He's even had other municipalities reach out to him from other areas about the possibility of setting up alerts for their community.