Project Lazarus / Coastlands Ministries

The Project Lazarus model is a public health model based on the twin premises that drug overdose deaths are preventable and that all communities are ultimately responsible for their own health. The model can be conceptualized as a wheel, with three core components in the "hub and seven components that make up the "spokes". The three foundational components of the hub are: (1) Public awareness (via community forums, various county health fairs, and lectures), (2) Coalition actions and (3) Data and evaluation (via community forums and presentations that were specifically tailored to individual communities with their county specificinformation regarding overdose and poisonings).Each one of the seven components of the spokes has a menu of different activities that can fall within. The seven spokes are: (1) Community Education (via school prevention clubs, presentations at health fairs, and usage messages displayed on billboards, fliers and pharmacy Rx bags), (2) Prescriber Education (via distribution of CPI and Project Lazarus toolkits, and info on CSRS implementation), (3) Hospital ED Policies (via case management training for those with chronic pain, CSRS implementation and policies on referral for opioid disbursement), (4) Diversion Control (via Project Pill Drop medication disposal boxes at local law enforcement offices), (5) Pain Patient Support (accomplished through expanding access to treatment for those with chronic pain, (6) Harm Reductions (via distribution of Naloxone overdose rescue kits with information on safe usage and signs of overdose), and (7) Addiction Treatment (via expanding access to treatment and physical referrals, as well as Lazarus Recovery Services).The Lazarus Recovery Services (LRS) program is a peer recovery support program which combines case management, community navigation, crisis intervention, family involvement, and group facilitation. LRS also works closely with faith communities to boost recovery. Lazarus Recovery Services continues to provide support to those with substance use disorder (SUD), problems through those who are role models of recovery. Our Lazarus Peer Guides (LPGS) are trained to serve the needs of those in recovery beyond the scope of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment agencies.In Wilkes County, NC, the Project Lazarus Wilkes Youth Coalition (PLWYC) was formulated to decrease youth substance use and initiation by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors through community collaboration. Project Lazarus was involved in eight high schools and middle schools and five elementary schools in Wilkes County presenting and encouraging drug prevention and awareness involving students in leadership prevention teams and education in alternative learning programs. Additionally, PLWYC held various community wide activities for engagement with youth and their families.Additionally, in Wilkes County, the formulation of coalition sector members representative of the community at large has been accomplished. Regular meetings for planning and strategic initiatives are occurring. Federal grants have been received to build collaboration capacity with courts, corrections, hospital, substance use recovery and work force development. Presentations, lectures, and communications also took place with members of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of National Drug Control Policy, SAMHSA, HRSA, Bureau of Justice Assistance, NCDHHS, state and local agencies, as well as law enforcement, EMS, and policy makers. The Project Lazarus public health model has been implemented within approximately the counties in North Carolina, 35 other states in the USA and Canada.