The Lackawanna Recovery Coalition’s primary goal is to reduce opioid poisoning (overdose) deaths in Lackawanna County. One of the strategies in saving lives is understanding the stigma associated with opioid use disorder (OUD) and helping to reduce that stigma in order to break down barriers to treatment and recovery for individuals and families.
The LRC’s Stigma Reduction Workgroup is conducting surveys to assess the current levels of stigma in Lackawanna County with hopes of understanding the depth of the issue. At the conclusion of the surveys, the information will be used to develop a stigma reduction campaign and to target messaging and learning opportunities at the root causes of stigma.
The surveys are targeting three primary groups:
- The Community At Large – This survey is intended to understand how the general community feels and thinks about opioid use, OUD, and opioid poisoning.
The link to this survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/loc_communitylc. - First Responders – Lackawanna County first responders are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic every day. Understanding how they think and feel about the challenges they face will help us improve communication and education surrounding opioid poisoning.
The link to this is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/loc_firstresponder. - The Medical Community – Doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and others are part of the solution in addressing opioid use disorder issues in Lackawanna County. This survey seeks to understand medical practitioners’ use and understanding of the PDMP and beliefs surrounding opioid use and use disorder.
The link for this survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/loc_MP.
The surveys were developed utilizing materials provided by the PA Opioid Overdose Reduction Technical Assistance Center and the guide, “Developing a Stigma Reduction Initiative,” produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.