Health: Addiction

Ideal Option Partners with Las Cruces City Council to Propose Resolution Supporting Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorder

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. (PRWEB)

Ideal Option, a national leader in outpatient medication-assisted treatment for addiction to opioids and other substances, is partnering with the Las Cruces City Council and the Las Cruces Fire Department to bring forward a resolution directing City staff and contractors to provide education and referral information to citizens regarding substance use treatment options within the community.

Due to the increasingly prevalent role that fentanyl, a deadly and highly addictive synthetic opioid, has played in the substance use epidemic, overdose deaths have skyrocketed across New Mexico. According to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, there were 617 overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids reported in New Mexico during the 12-month period ending in January 2022, an 85% increase from the 333 deaths reported during the same period the year before.

Studies indicate that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can reduce the risk of death from substance abuse by more than 50%.

“Las Cruces has a number of medication-assisted and alternative substance abuse treatment providers available,” stated Kasandra Gandara, mayor pro-tem and District 1 councilor. “The purpose of this resolution is to ensure that City staff are performing outreach to those that may be in need of MAT services.”

One such treatment provider located in Las Cruces is Ideal Option, who helped more than 500 New Mexico patients get started in recovery last year. With no waitlists and most forms of insurance accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, alcohol, or other substances within 1-3 business days.

“Too few of our people struggling with addiction are ever offered medication for it,” stated Athena Huckaby, Ideal Option’s community outreach coordinator located in Las Cruces. “This resolution, if adopted by the City Council, could really move the needle here in Las Cruces as far as ensuring people are referred to low barrier, evidence-based treatment options for substance use issues.”

Ideal Option recently released their 2022 Annual Outcomes Report for patients living in New Mexico. Among those who remained in treatment from initiation to the maintenance stage of care during 2022, the report shows:

  • 89% less total opioid use

  • 94% less fentanyl use

  • 94% less heroin use

  • 88% less methamphetamine use

  • 87% less cocaine use


View the full Ideal Option 2022 Annual Patient Outcomes Report for New Mexico here: [https://www.idealoption.com/patient-outcomes.

This proposal was presented to the City’s Health Policy Review Committee and then recommended for the City Council to consider for adoption.

The resolution will be presented and voted on at the City Council meeting on Monday, May 1, at 1 p.m. in Las Cruces City Hall. Ideal Option would like to invite all members of the community to attend in support and/or speak in favor of the resolution at the meeting.

About Ideal Option Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 65,000 patients through a network of nearly 90 office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 11 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts most forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available.

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.

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