Staff views on overdose prevention in permanent supportive housing

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine
• Housing Policy

Background:

• Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is crucial for chronic homelessness.
• PSH tenants have a high risk of overdose due to combined risk factors.
• Overdose prevention research in PSH settings is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess PSH staff knowledge and perspectives on overdose prevention.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for implementing overdose prevention in PSH.
• To inform targeted interventions for reducing overdose risk in PSH.

Main Methods:

• Baseline online surveys administered to staff in 20 New York PSH buildings.
• Survey assessed knowledge using the Brief Opioid Overdose Knowledge (BOOK) questionnaire.
• Evaluated staff perspectives on appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of overdose prevention practices.

Main Results:

• 178 staff completed surveys (62.2% response rate).
• Staff showed high agreement on the appropriateness (91.6%) and acceptability (97.2%) of overdose prevention.
• Feasibility was less certain (62.4-65.5% agreement), though 77.3% prioritized overdose prevention.
• 85% of staff had naloxone kits and training, compared to 22.5% of tenants.

Conclusions:

• PSH staff support overdose prevention but express concerns about feasibility.
• Findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to enhance PSH overdose prevention.
• Addressing feasibility concerns can improve overdose risk reduction for PSH tenants.