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AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.[Opioid Overdose Epidemic Response Update News Conference on June 10, 2025.]
I'M THE MAYOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR THAT CITY AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED THAT $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, WAS GOING TO BE RECEIVED BY OUR JURISDICTIONS.
AND THAT WAS WITH THE GREAT HELP OF OUR CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT.
AND THAT MONEY, THAT $2 MILLION THAT CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT HELPED SECURE FOR US WAS GOING TO GO TOWARD FIGHTING THE OPIOID CRISIS IN A MEANINGFUL AND MEASURABLE WAY.
TODAY, TODAY, I'M PROUD TO BE JOINED BY OTHERS.
AS WE SAY, WE'VE MADE A MADE VERY GOOD ON THAT PROMISE THAT WE MADE WITH ABOUT THAT $2 MILLION.
AS THE FEDERAL EARMARK COMES TO ITS NATURAL END THIS MONTH, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITH THIS SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT TOGA.
TOGETHER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, EMS, TRAVIS COUNTY AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WE DELIVERED VERY REAL RESULTS.
THE FUNDING LED TO NEW AND EXPANDED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR HARM REDUCTION, PEER SUPPORT, NALOXONE TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TRAINING, AND MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT OVERDOSE DEATHS.
THESE FUNDS HAVE ALLOWED THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC HEALTH PREVENTION AND EDUCATION STRATEGY THAT'S BEEN FOCUSED ON THOSE AT HIGH RISK FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE.
WE TRAINED MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO OVERDOSES.
WE DIS, DIS DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 24,000 DOSES, AND I, I NEVER PRONOUN DOCTOR, MAKE SURE I PRONOUNCE IT RIGHT.
UH, SO NALOXONE, WE PRODU, WE, WE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 24,000 DOSES OF NALOXONE ACROSS AUSTIN.
OUR MEDIA CAMPAIGN SAW MILLIONS OF IMPRESSIONS AND DROVE PEOPLE TO FIND INFORMATION AND RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED AND NEEDED.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'VE SEEN A DECLINE IN OVERDOSE DEATHS HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
IT MEANS LIVES SAVED, FAMILIES INTACT, AND A COMMUNITY THAT'S LEARNING HOW TO KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE.
THERE'S STILL A LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR US, BUT TODAY WE CAN SAY THIS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE NO LONGER REACTING TO A CRISIS.
WE ARE BUILDING A SYSTEM THAT PREVENTS IT.
I'LL NOW PASS IT ALONG TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEDICAL DIRECTOR DR.
DEMAR WALKS TO SAY A FEW MORE WORDS.
THE PROJECTS YOU HAVE MENTIONED HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND INVESTMENTS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I'M A P H'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.
LAST YEAR I SAID THAT ANYONE COULD BE THE VICTIM OF AN OVERDOSE AND THAT WE NEEDED TO, UH, PRO PROVIDE A COORDINATED COMMUNITY-WIDE RESPONSE TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS.
TODAY, I CAN SAY WE'VE MADE REAL PROGRESS.
AUSTIN IS NOW SEEING A DECLINE IN DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS.
WE HAVE CREATED AN OPIOID RESO RE RESOURCE DASHBOARD ON OUR WEBSITE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH OPIOIDS, AND THIS MAKES OVERDOSE DATA AND RECOVERY RESOURCES EASY TO ACCESS.
WE'VE ALSO PUBLISHED AN OPIOID OVERDOSE SURVEILLANCE REPORT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHO IS BEING AFFECTED AND HOW WE CAN RESPOND.
THE STORY WE'VE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THROUGH OUR WORK AND RESEARCH IS THAT ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM OF AN OVERDOSE.
THIS EPIDEMIC HAS FOUND ITS WAY INTO ALL PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WITH CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION, WE CAN PUSH THOSE NUMBERS EVEN LOWER AND SAVE MORE LIVES.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, GO OVER SOME TIPS FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING TODAY ON WAYS THAT YOU CAN PREVENT AN OVERDOSE.
NEVER USE DRUGS ALONE OR BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR.
LET OTHERS KNOW IF YOU HAVE NALOXONE, ESPECIALLY THOSE AROUND YOU.
LEARN THE SIGNS OF OVERDOSE, PINPOINT PUPILS REDUCED ALERTNESS AND SLOW OR ABSENT BREATHING.
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IF SOMEONE SHOWS SIGNS OF AN OVERDOSE, EVEN IF YOU'RE UNSURE, ADMINISTER NALOXONE.START BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AND CALL 9 1 1.
REMEMBER, OPIOIDS CAN LAST LONGER THAN NALOXONE.
SO CONTINUED CRITICAL CARE IS, IS CRITICAL.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH UT CENTER FOR HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS TO CREATE THE IN AUSTIN.
WE KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE CAMPAIGN TO SHARE CRITICAL INFORMATION ON CARRYING NALOXONE, AND HERE YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE POSTERS AS EXAMPLES.
THIS CAMPAIGN DELIVERED 56 MILLION IMPRESSIONS AND DROVE MORE THAN 58,000 VISITS TO THE CAMPAIGN WEBSITE.
WHILE THIS ONE TIME FUNDING COMES TO A CLOSE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TO HARM REDUCTION, PEER SUPPORT, NALOXONE TRAINING AND DISTRIBUTION, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TRAINING, AND MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, LEVERAGING OPIOID ABATEMENT FUNDS THROUGH A COORDINATED MULTI-SECTOR APPROACH.
WE WILL CONTINUE THE PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF ENDING OVERDOSE DEATHS.
I'D LIKE TO NOW PASS THIS ALONG TO AUSTIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY'S EMS CHIEF ROBERT LUCAS.
UH, ROBERT LUCR, THE CHIEF OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. UH, VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THIS, UH, ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND ALL OF THE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UH, ACROSS AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
BACK IN 2023, UH, THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS DEPARTMENT WORKED WITH OUR, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND PUBLIC HEALTH PARTNERS TO DEVELOP THE BREATHE NOW PROGRAM, WHICH WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN INDIVIDUALS IN THE PUBLIC ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE AN OVERDOSE, HOW TO ADMINISTER NARCAN OR NALOXONE TO THE SAME THING AND CARE FOR SOMEONE UNTIL HELP ARRIVES.
WE REALIZED THAT IT NEEDED TO GROW, AND WE WERE SO EXCITED LAST YEAR WHEN WE UNDERSTOOD AND FOUND OUT THAT WE'D RECEIVED THE GRANT AND ARE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
IT WAS PARTICULARLY POIGNANT ABOUT A YEAR AGO BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ANNOUNCING THIS GRANT, WE ALSO HAD A VERY TRAGIC AND SAD DAY HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WHERE IN ONE DAY AN OUTDO OUTBREAK IN OVERDOSES RESULTED IN 79 OVERDOSES WITH NINE DEAD NINE FATALITIES.
WHILE THE WORK OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS TO RAPIDLY DEPLOY THAT MORNING TO DISTRIBUTE NARCAN AND OTHER RESOURCES TO THOSE MOST IN NEED, IT HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR US TO GET AHEAD OF THIS AND FOR US TO EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ON THEIR OWN AND TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AND THAT'S WHY PROGRAMS LIKE THIS ARE SO CRITICAL.
AS WAS MENTIONED, SINCE THEN, WE'VE TRAINED MORE THAN 1100 PEOPLE AND BREATHE NOW TO RECOGNIZE AND OVERDOSE AND ADMINISTER CARE.
WE'VE ALSO DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 24,000 DOSES OF NALOXONE OR NARCAN, AND IT'S NOT JUST TO THE RESIDENTS AND PATIENTS THAT WE SEE.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF NALOXONE IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND HOUSING COMMUNITIES TO ALLOW THEM TO HAVE RESOURCES SUCH AS NARCAN, UH, AND TO TRAIN THEM IN BREATHE NOW, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN IN ALL SORTS OF VENUES, AND WE'RE CARRYING NALOXONE ON EVERY AMBULANCE, EVERY FIRE TRUCK, AND EVERY POLICE CAR HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SO THAT WE CAN DISTRIBUTE THEM TO INDIVIDUALS IN NEED.
WE SPOKE TO YOU NOT LONG AGO, AND THIS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.
WE KNOW THIS IS WORKING AS WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN OVERDOSE DEATHS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'VE PROVEN THAT ADEQUATE TRAINING AND ACCESS TO NARCAN SAVES LIVES AND CAN TURN THE TIDE ON THE EPIDEMIC THAT WE'RE SEEING, NOT JUST HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SPEAKING OF ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CITIES ACROSS THE NATION HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THE WORK WE ARE DOING HERE WITH OUR, UH, CITY PARTNERS WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS AS A NATIONAL MODEL, AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE NATION TO REPLICATE THE RESOURCES AND THE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT PROVES TRULY WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, AS A CITY, AND AS A COUNTY AND WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN HARM REDUCTION.
AND WITH THAT, I BELIEVE I'M TURNING IT OVER TO JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
I'M TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
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WHEN WE GATHERED HERE LAST YEAR, I SAID WE NEEDED TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE WITH EMPATHY RESOURCES AND A PATH FORWARD BECAUSE EVERYBODY DESERVES DIGNITY, SAFETY, AND SUPPORT.OVER THE PAST YEAR, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS DONE.
WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, WE BROUGHT ON SIX PEER COACHES WHO OFFERED DIRECT ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE.
NEARLY ALL OF THEM MADE MEANINGFUL PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS LIKE HOUSING RECOVERY, RECONNECTING, RECONNECTING WITH LOVED ONES, OR STAYING CONNECTED TO PEER SUPPORT INSIDE OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY JAIL, TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, MAGGIE'S HERE TODAY HOSTED OVER 50 HARM REDUCTION GROUP SESSIONS WITH NEARLY 600 PARTICIPANTS BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE JAIL, THEY NEED MORE THAN FREEDOM.
THEY NEED PREPARATION, SUPPORT, AND TOOLS TO STAY HEALTHY.
WE ALSO MET PEOPLE AT ONE OF THEIR MOST VULNERABLE POINTS, RIGHT AS THEY WERE LEAVING INCARCERATION AND FACING HOMELESSNESS.
OUR TEAMS CONDUCTED NEARLY 300 COORDINATED ASSESSMENTS AND MADE MORE THAN 400 REFERRALS TO HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, AND TREATMENT SERVICES.
THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY, FOUR PEER SPECIALISTS PROVIDED ONGOING SUPPORT TO MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE.
WHILE MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE ATTENDED PEER-LED EVENTS AND GROUPS, OVER 200 OF THEM WERE ENGAGING IN RECOVERY ACTIVITIES FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU BUILD A RECOVERY FRIENDLY COMMUNITY.
ONE CONVERSATION, ONE CONNECTION AT A TIME.
WE ALSO INVESTED IN TRAINING THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE OFTEN THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT.
UT'S PHARMACY ADDICTION RESEARCH AND MEDICINE PROGRAM DEVELOPED TWO NEW CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES FOR PROVIDERS TREATING PATIENTS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER.
NEARLY 600 HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS COMPLETED THE TRAINING AND 70% OF THEM REPORTED FEELING MORE CONFIDENT TALKING WITH PATIENTS ABOUT OPIOID USE.
MANY OF THEM ARE NOW INCORPORATING HARM REDUCTION INTO THEIR DAILY PRACTICE.
ALL OF THIS IS MAKING A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE.
UH, AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, TRAVIS COUNTY HAS SEEN A 22% DECREASE IN OVERALL OPIOID RELATED DEATHS, UH, IN 2024, DOWN FROM 486 TO 380, AND EVEN MORE NOTABLY, FENTANYL RELATED DEATHS DROPPED 36% FROM 279 IN 2023 TO 1 79 IN 2024.
OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE'VE ALLOCATED $4.8 MILLION IN LOCAL AND FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMBAT OPIOIDS AND OVERDOSE RATES.
IN APRIL, WE RECEIVED ANOTHER $1.4 MILLION TO OUR OPIOID ABATEMENT FUND.
TO SUSTAIN AND EXPAND THIS MOMENTUM, WE'RE DEEPEN.
WE'VE DEEPENED OUR COMMITMENT TO MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, AND THAT INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS TEAMS THAT YOU HEARD FROM A SECOND AGO THROUGH THE OPIOID USE DISORDER SUPPORT PROGRAM, ONSITE TREATMENT FOR OPIOID WITHDRAWAL THROUGH THE BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE.
MAYOR, I HAVE A, I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THAT ONE.
UH, PROGRAM EXPANDED OVERDOSE AWARENESS, NARCAN TRAINING PROGRAMS AND COLLABORATIONS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEBODY AFFECTED BY THIS CRISIS.
A CHILD, A FRIEND, A PARENT, A LOVED ONE.
FAR TOO MANY FAMILIES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE ALREADY FELT THE PAIN, AND WE'RE DOING THIS TO REDUCE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AND WHILE WE'RE MAKING REAL PROGRESS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE STATE LEADERSHIP CONTINUE TO BLOCK SIMPLE LIFESAVING TOOLS LIKE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS.
OUR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK REFUSED TO PASS FENTANYL TEST STRIPS THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE ONCE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD PREVENT COUNTLESS DEATHS IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YET HE'S INSISTENT ON BANNING THC AND HEMP PRODUCTS FROM PEOPLE WHO NEED IT, LIKE VETERANS.
LET'S BE CLEAR, TEST STRIPS, SAVE LIVES, FEAR MONGERING AND MIS MISINFORMATION DON'T.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR SMART POLICY, EXPANDED TREATMENT ACCESS, AND BROADER DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE-SAVING TOOLS LIKE NARCAN OR NALOXONE.
THIS WORK IS FAR FROM OVER, BUT IT'S PROOF THAT WHEN WE INVEST IN THE RIGHT STRATEGIES AND WORK TOGETHER, WE SAVE LIVES.
I WANNA EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TO OUR MAYOR, TO OUR TRAVIS COUNTY STAFF, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND THRA AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS DECREASE IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
I HOPE TOGETHER WE'RE BUILDING A STRONGER FOUNDATION ROOTED IN COMPASSION DATA, AND A COMMITMENT TO ENSURING EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THEY NEED
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TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE.WELL, THANK YOU JUDGE BROWN, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND THE, THE COUNTY'S DONE, UH, AS I SAID A MOMENT AGO, AND I, IT BEARS REPEATING NOW THAT YOU'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATIONS FROM THESE FOLKS.
UH, WE ARE NO LONGER IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY REACTING TO A CRISIS.
WE ARE BUILDING A SYSTEM THAT PREVENTS IT.
I WANNA SAY AGAIN, THANK YOU TO CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT FOR THE ROLE THAT HE PLAYED IN GETTING US MONEY THAT WE HAVE PUT TO I THINK VERY, VERY GOOD USE.
AND ALSO, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
MAYOR, I THINK THE JUDGE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, CAN YOU OR, OR THE JUDGE TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS WILL CONTINUE, UH, IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT FUNDING AND IN, IN TIMES OF REDUCED STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING? SURE.
AND, AND, AND WE'LL CALL ON A COUPLE PEOPLE.
YOU WANNA START AND I'LL FOLLOW UP AFTER.
I MEAN, SO THANKFULLY WE'RE GETTING MONEY REGULARLY FROM THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT, SO WE JUST GOT THAT 1.4 MILLION THAT THE COUNTY GOT.
I I THINK THE CITY GETS SIMILAR AMOUNTS, THE STATE, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH, I GET THAT THAT IS ONGOING AND DOES NOT DEPEND ON FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, WE OF COURSE HAVE OUR, YOU KNOW, LOCAL REVENUE THAT WE GET FROM LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES, UM, THAT IS NOT BEING CUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAST TIME I CHECKED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN TRAVIS COUNTY, EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST IN.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AND CONTINUE FIGHTING NO MATTER WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD ANSWER.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO IT IS THAT WE'RE WINNING AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, THAT WE, UH, LIKE I SAY, WE'RE BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'RE NOT REACTING ANYMORE TO A CRISIS.
SO, UH, WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT, THAT PROCESS.
JUST TO PUT A FINER POINT ON IT, LIKE WITHOUT THAT, WITHOUT FEDERAL SUPPORT, DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO ACHIEVE YOUR CURRENT GOALS ON THIS ISSUE? I DO.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, AND I THINK WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO, I THINK THE ANSWER IS THAT SIMPLE.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, ARE YOU REACHING OUT TO CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS, PEOPLE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO GET FUNDING THIS WAY? IT FEELS LIKE ON A DAILY BASIS, I'M REACHING OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE, OF CONGRESS ON DIFFERENT THINGS RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND, AND WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
SO, BUT YES, WE, WE HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL HERE.
AND AS, AS, UH, THE CHIEF MENTIONED, THE REST OF THE COUNTRY'S ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WELL THINGS ARE GOING HERE.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL AND I THINK YOU'LL, YOU'LL HEAR US CONTINUE TO TELL THAT.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? OKAY.
JUST ONE MORE, JUST GOING FORWARD, WHAT DOES THE STRATEGY LOOK LIKE? IS IT JUST MORE OF, OF THE SAME OR ARE THERE ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS OR STRATEGIES YOU'D LIKE TO TRY THAT, UH, YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
I'LL, I'LL LET HER DOCTOR ANSWER THAT.
WELL, WE ARE CONTINUING THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE USING NOW THAT ARE PART OF THE CDC EVIDENCE-BASED PROTOCOLS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TODAY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING CONTINUALLY AND DOING AFTER ACTION REVIEWS OF WHAT IT IS WE HAVE DONE, WHERE THERE ARE GAPS.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE ME MENTIONING AND, AND MESSAGING, SORRY, TO PARENTS TO HAVE THEM TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT DRUG USE AND NOT USING DRUGS.
AND, UM, CONTINUING THAT MESSAGING SO THAT WE CAN STOP THE, THE, THE BEGINNINGS OF THAT.
WE'RE AS A COMMUNITY, WORKING TO BRING PEOPLE BACK INTO COMMUNITY.
UM, MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH MAGGIE LUNA, WITH THRA, UM, THERE'S A SEPARATION FROM COMMUNITY AND ISOLATION THAT COMES WITH, UM, ADDICTION.
AND SO WORKING TOGETHER AS A GROUP, UM, ACROSS ALL PARTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE GOING TO BE THE ESSENTIAL FOR US TO CONTINUE TO SEE THE SUCCESS.
CHIEF, YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM AN EMS PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED IS THAT, UM, NARCAN AND, AND NALOXONE, IT, IT, IT ABSOLUTELY SAVES LIVES, BUT IN, IN SOME WAYS IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A STOP GAP BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY THAT WE'RE TRULY GONNA, UM, OVERCOME THIS EPIDEMIC THAT WE HAVE IS THROUGH LONG-TERM CARE AND AND TREATMENT OPTIONS.
UM, WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THIS PROGRAM AND WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DISTRIBUTING NARCAN, WE RECOGNIZED THAT, UM, FOLKS THAT ADMINISTER NARCAN WHILE THEY'RE SAVING THEIR LIVES, IF WE CAN'T GET THEM FROM THERE INTO ANOTHER PROGRAM, UM, THERE'S HIGH PROPENSITY THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE IS IN RECOGNIZING THAT IS FOLLOW, WE FOLLOW UP WITH EVERY SINGLE OPIATE OVERDOSE HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, AND, AND TRY TO IDENTIFY AND TRY TO LOCATE, UH, THE, THE INDIVIDUAL, THE PATIENT, UM, AND WORK WITH THEM THROUGH OUR, OUR, THERE'S, THE JUDGE MENTIONED OUR BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM EVEN, AND I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THAT, THE BUPRENORPHINE BRIDGE PROGRAM, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION WITH THEM ON A BRIDGE WHILE
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WE WORK TO GET THEM INTO LONG-TERM TREATMENT.UM, AND, AND WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL SUCCESS RATE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO GET TREATMENT, UM, GOING THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, UH, BEING ABLE TO PLACE THEM INTO THOSE, INTO THAT CARE.
SO I THINK IT'S PROGRAMS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN'T STOP WITH JUST NARCAN.
IT HAS TO BE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT HAS TO BE PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, THE STATE AND OTHER ENTITIES, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A, A MUCH BROADER AND LARGER PROBLEM THAN, THAN JUST HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO ONE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DO IS, SO THE MAYOR AND I AND CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING A MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER, UH, SYSTEM SET UP HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING A PILOT ALONG WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING, RIGHT, TODAY WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 2300 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY JAIL.
SOMEWHERE AROUND HALF OF THOSE FOLKS, MAYBE MORE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT UNMET MENTAL HEALTH NEED.
THIS OFTEN LEADS TO INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE, AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, UH, ASSETS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT MENTAL HEALTH HELP.
AND OFTEN MENTAL HEALTH AND, UH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER ARE CO-OCCURRING.
SO I'M HOPEFUL, I THINK WE HAVE FUNDING PATHS FOR IT TO ESTABLISH A MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER, A LOCAL PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL THAT WILL HELP US IMMENSELY IN THIS REGARD BECAUSE OF ALL THE CO-OCCURRENCE BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH, UH, NEEDS AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, JUDGE, WILL THE, THE EFFORTS THAT THE HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE DID IN THE JAIL, WILL THAT CONTINUE IN YEAR TWO OR, UH, I HOPE SO, MAGGIE.
YES, WE, WE, DID WE, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? COME ON.
WE WERE PLANNING ON EXPANDING OUR, UM, REENTRY EFFORTS, BUT WE LOST A BUREAU OF JUSTICE GRANT, SO WE'RE JUST DOING WHAT WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT GO INSIDE OF THE JAIL.
WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND THAT TO FOUR, WHICH IS WE HAVE A PLAN FOR IT
SO, UH, BUT YES, WE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING MET, WHERE THEY ARE, AND LEARNING ABOUT THE OVERDOSE CRISIS WHEN THEY GET OUT AND HOW DANGEROUS IT IS.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? WHAT IS THE WAIT TIME LIKE NOW TO GET INTO TREATMENT? UH, OH, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TO GET YOU AN ANSWER ON THAT TO FOUR DAYS.
MAYOR, CAN WE ASK, YOU KNOW, ONE TO FOUR DAYS? ONE TO FOUR DAYS? GENERALLY IT'S UNDER SEVEN.
DID YOU GET THAT? THAT'S FOR
BUT LIKE INTO ACTUAL, LIKE, LONG TERM TREATMENT TREAT THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE PEOPLE IN WITHIN FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS.
ASK YOU A QUESTION ON DIFFERENT TOPIC.
THIS, UH, EVENTS IS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE THE PROTESTS LAST NIGHT, AND ANY UPCOMING PROTESTS, JUST YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK ON, ON THAT.
WELL, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE, WE'RE, THIS IS A VERY REAL SITUATION IMPACTING THE LIVES OF REAL PEOPLE, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND I RECOGNIZE, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, THAT, THAT I RECOGNIZE THE VALUE AND THE HUMANITY OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.
AND, AND MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN, IN WASHINGTON, UH, IS MEANT TO CREATE FEAR.
UH, IT'S MEANT TO CREATE CHAOS.
UH, EVEN IF THAT'S NEGATIVE ATTENTION.
UH, SOME PEOPLE WANNA REFER TO, UH, UH, THIS IS A, AN INSURRECTION, WELL, THEY WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE AN INSURRECTION.
UH, THEY WANT MANUFACTURED VIOLENCE AND, AND THEY WANT MANUFACTURED CHAOS.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY IS I'M NOT GOING TO PLAY INTO THE POLITICS OF FEAR.
UH, I'M GOING TO WORK AS I HAVE BEEN, UH, FOR MONTHS NOW TO REDUCE AND MITIGATE THE FEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE FEELING.
UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF PEACEFUL PROTESTS AGAINST THE POLICIES THAT, THAT PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH.
I SUPPORT THEIR ABILITY TO ASSEMBLE PEACEFULLY.
I SUPPORT THEIR RIGHT TO, TO, TO ASSEMBLE THAT WAY AND THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THINGS THAT THEY, THEY, UH, DISAGREE WITH.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS OR EFFORTS TO HURT POLICE OFFICERS IS WRONG.
UH, WHEN PEOPLE DO THAT, YOU'RE DAMAGING YOUR CITY.
AND PLUS I THINK IT PLAYS INTO THE POLITICS OF FEAR AND CHAOS.
IT DOESN'T HELP THOSE BEING TARGETED AND IT ACTUALLY GIVES POWER OR EMPOWERS THOSE WHO WANT, UH, MORE POWER AND WANT TO CREATE MORE PAIN AND, AND WANNA CREATE, UH, SOME DESTRUCTION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD SAY IS, UH, PROTEST IF, IF, IF YOU WANNA PROTEST, YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THAT PROTEST, SPEAK OUT.
UH, BUT DON'T BECOME A TOOL OF THE CHAOS.
UH, DON'T BECOME A TOOL OF THE FEAR OR THE NEGATIVE ACTIVITY, AND DON'T BE A PLAYER IN SOMEONE
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ELSE'S, UH, THEATER PRODUCTION, UH, THAT, THAT LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING.SO ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT, UH, FOUR OFFICERS WERE INJURED LAST, LAST NIGHT? SURE.
STATE TROOPERS DEPLOYED TEAR GAS.
ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT THIS MIGHT CONTINUE OR ESCALATE TONIGHT? WELL, THAT'S PART OF WHAT I'M, PART OF WHAT I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW IS I, I, I SUPPORT AND WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR, IN THEIR CITY, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BEING ABLE TO, UH, EXPRESS THEIR POINT OF VIEW, BE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE, BE ABLE TO GATHER AND EXPRESS THAT POINT OF VIEW AND PROTEST THINGS THAT THEY DON'T AGREE WITH.
DON'T TRY TO HURT POLICE OFFICERS THAT DAMAGES YOUR CITY.
AND IT PLAYS INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO CREATE THEATER AND CREATE CHAOS.
AND YOU HAVE AN EMS DEMONSTRATION.