Orange County NC Website
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82 <br /> Freedom House has been working with CJRD on Lantern Project for four years. The <br /> North Carolina Overdose Epidemic data from the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch <br /> of the North Carolina Division of Public Health reflects the positive outcomes occurring <br /> across Orange County in the efforts to overcome the opioid epidemic. Most recent data <br /> show Orange County has recorded a drop in Fentanyl Positive Deaths 2024 YTD to 11 <br /> which represents a decrease from the high of 28 in 2021. In addition,the estimated rate <br /> of Overdose Deaths in Orange County in 2023 was 21.0 out of 100,000 residents. This <br /> rate is a decrease from the 36 out of 100,000 residents in 2022 who died of overdose in <br /> Orange County. These statistics also stand for the realization of the Freedom House <br /> vision that all seeking recovery are connected to the care and resources they need to <br /> reach their fullest potential. We work towards this vision daily because we believe all are <br /> worthy of a full life in recovery and that hope in recovery awaits all who seek it. <br /> FHRC currently has a full-time licensed clinician and peer support dedicated to the <br /> Lantern Project. As we continue to expand the program and our support of justice <br /> involved individuals, we will increase engagement in ongoing recovery groups for <br /> graduates of the program. We will also look to begin providing Seeking Safety support <br /> for individuals while incarcerated.This evidence-based curriculum is designed to be used <br /> one on one or in a group setting. Incorporating this into our treatment opens the <br /> possibility of engaging added justice involved individuals in various settings with the goal <br /> of ongoing engagement upon release from incarceration. <br /> C. Equity Impact (8 points, page limit: not to exceed % page) <br /> For the justice-involved population in Orange County, barriers related to mental health <br /> and social determinants of health have made access to substance use treatment more <br /> challenging. Barriers to recovery services include lack of transportation, uncontrolled <br /> mental health, uninsured or underinsured individuals, and a lack of knowledge of local <br /> resources. In addition, social determinants of health such as housing instability or <br /> homelessness, food insecurity for themselves and their families as well as feeling <br /> overwhelmed often contribute to illicit drug use. <br /> According to the December 2023 North Carolina Criminal Justice Data Snapshot, in 2022 <br /> more people died of a drug overdose than by suicide and homicide combined. In January <br /> 2022,9,382 people in North Carolina were experiencing homelessness at a rate of 88 <br /> per 100,000 residents, which is the 8th-highest state homelessness rate in the region. Of <br /> the people released from prison in 2012, 71 percent were rearrested within 5 years of <br /> release, 54 percent were convicted of a new offense, and 46 percent returned to prison. <br /> Across the state, the arrest rate for Black individuals is 2.3 times higher than it is for <br /> White people. And the prison incarceration rate remains over 5 times higher for the <br /> Black population compared to the White population. In North Carolina in 2022, 19 <br /> 5 <br />