UK study finds disparities in substance use disorder for communities of color

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A recent University of Kentucky study found that overdose fatalities in Kentucky are on the decline overall.

However, state data shows an eight percent rise in overdose deaths in the Black community. It is a finding that is opening up the conversation about how to address barriers in substance use treatment for those in marginalized communities.

“Stigma costs lives because people aren’t willing to talk about it, and they’re not willing to come in for help,” said Kevin Crabtree, program coordinator for Voices of Hope.

Voices of Hope is an organization focused on responding to the needs of the recovery community.

“We’re all about community and it’s in our title Voices of Hope,” he said. “We want to hear from all voices, and we want to serve all voices.”

To hear and serve all voices means understanding additional barriers to recovery faced by members of marginalized communities, including those who are not English speakers or who are not covered by medical insurance.

“A lot of people who don’t have health insurance are not able to even receive the level of care that they need to receive, much less to be able to give them help with substance use disorder,” said Nickol Brill, bilingual recovery coach at Voices of Hope.

While the study found numbers overall getting better for Kentucky, it is not a blanket finding.

“That shows that there is a huge part of the community that’s missing from the conversation, and that means they’re missing from approaches, resources, and we just want to make sure that we have everybody taken care of,” said Leah Dick, research project manager at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center.

The work to reduce overdose fatalities is still in progress, but there is strength in numbers and strength input from those with a variety of life experiences.

“The more voices that we can hear from, the stronger the organization we will become, and the better that we can serve the community,” said Crabtree.

Information and access to Voices of Hope’s resources can be found on their website.

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