Addiction Policy Forum (APF) and the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) launched an initiative to vaccinate people with addiction disorder against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The program is funded by a grant of $125,843 from FORE. The initiative will provide trained “vaccine navigators” to help schedule vaccine appointments and address concerns about taking the vaccine among people with addiction disorder over the next few months. Assistance will be provided to people in treatment or recovery from an addiction disorder, as well as for their family members or other caregivers.
Through the new program, vaccine navigators will help people with addiction disorder find vaccination sites, identify appointment availability, and schedule appointments in their area if needed. People will be able to access the navigators through multiple means, including via APF’s helpline, website, Connections App, and newsletter. Vaccine navigators will also provide free, confidential support, evidence-based information, and connection to local addiction treatment and recovery resources to individuals who seek it. To help address the high rates of vaccine hesitancy among people with addiction disorder, vaccine navigators will conduct outreach to provide information and resources to address concerns among those who are not ready to schedule an appointment.
APF is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem. Created to serve individuals and families impacted by the disease of addiction, the organization works to end stigma, help individuals and families in crisis, improve treatment and prevention, and translate the science around addiction.
FORE was founded in 2018 as a private 501(c)(3) national, grant-making foundation focused on addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. FORE is committed to funding a diversity of projects contributing solutions to the crisis at national, state, and community levels. FORE’s mission is to support partners advancing consumer-centered, innovative, evidence-based solutions for people with opioid use disorder, their families, and their communities. Through convening, grantmaking and developing informational resources, FORE seeks to bring about long-term change. To date, FORE has awarded 41 grants totaling $12.6 million.
This was reported by Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts & Addiction Policy Forum on March 23, 2021.
Contact information: Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts, 110 West 40th Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10018; 646-880-3585; Email: info@forefdn.org; Website: https://forefdn.org/
Contact information: Addiction Policy Forum, 11810 Grand Park Ave, Suite 500, North Bethesda, MD 20852; 301-769-5966; Email: info@addictionpolicy.org; Website: https://www.addictionpolicy.org/
