In New York, regulations designed to ensure the safety of substance-use service providers and their patients while maintaining services were quickly put into place following the ‘New York State on PAUSE’ executive order, which aimed to drastically slow the spread of COVID-19. Researchers from the Rockefeller Institute’s Stories from Sullivan team spoke to experts and providers from across the state and identified three regulatory changes that are having the greatest effect on substance-use service provision: telehealth, extended take-home policies for medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and social distancing guidelines. While telehealth and adjustments to policies surrounding MAT are helping providers maintain some level of service, social distancing guidelines are creating challenges for detoxification services, outpatient treatment, and residential care.
“The loss of a loved one, loss of a job, social isolation— these are stressors associated with the pandemic and also with increased substance use,” said Laura Schultz, executive director of research at the Rockefeller Institute. “Despite the steps that were taken to ease regulations surrounding substance-use services, the reality is that fewer people are getting the treatment they need.”
Because social distancing requires reduced capacity, residential providers are sometimes required to pick and choose between clients. Reduced capacity also means reduced revenue. Providers are facing great uncertainty in how they are going to pay bills, especially with state budget cuts looming.
Regulatory changes made in response to COVID-19 included:
At the same time, anecdotal reports from workers on the frontline of the opioid epidemic suggest substance use, overdoses, and overdose deaths may be increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of increased stressors like isolation, loss of loved ones or job, or economic anxiety. |
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About the Rockefeller Institute of Government
The Rockefeller Institute of Government is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. The Institute conducts cutting-edge research and analysis to inform lasting solutions to the problems
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