The Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP)
The Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP) is a coalition of health care professionals and other volunteers from a variety of backgrounds whose aim is to promote opioid safety throughout our county for all residents. Our coalition is part of a larger network of opioid safety coalitions throughout the state, called the California Opioid Prevention Network.
Join the coalition!
There are no requirements to join, and you can dedicate as much or as little time as you would like.
Note: Meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of every month | Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Address: Alexian Health Clinic, 2101 Alexian Dr, Suite A, San Jose, CA 95116 map and directions
We provide public and prescriber education for safer use of opioids, aim to improve opioid use disorder treatment access and access to naloxone kits, which can reverse opioid-related breathing problems. We further strive to reduce the amount of opioids in circulation through the promotion of storing opioid medication safely and disposing of opioids no longer needed promptly and correctly.
The opioid epidemic has grabbed headlines. Not a day goes by that we don’t see reference to this deadly wave that has crashed over our country affecting people from every region, age, and socioeconomic group; leaving in its wake devastated families and friends.
In 2019 alone, opioid overdoses claimed at least 49,860 lives in America. The abuse of and addiction to opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, morphine, and prescription pain relievers is a serious health problem in the county. From 2018-2019 death rates involving synthetic opioids increased 67.9% in the West according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 72.9% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful opioid, 80-100 times more powerful than morphine. Fentanyl is often mixed with other substances or sold illicitly as a power or as fake pills.
The California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) has taken a proactive role by recruiting and supporting counties to form coalitions and put the boots on the ground to fight the epidemic one community at a time.
In October 2015, CHCF invited the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP) into the California Opioid Safety Network.
The Coalition was developed with support from Behavioral Health leadership and the Board of Supervisors. The Coalition has implemented initiatives to support the community in their fight against drug abuse, addiction and overdose. Since then, CHCF has partnered with the Public Health Institute (PHI) Center for Health Leadership and Practice to place AmeriCorps VISTA members in the opioid safety coalitions.
Our mission
Since its inception, SCCOOPP has worked towards four major goals.
This includes education on using fewer opioids and more alternative pain treatments, tapering opioids to safer levels, using buprenorphine as a lower risk opioid for treating pain, as well as promoting the usual safe prescribing guidelines. We have also been working with a number of hospitals and clinic systems to put in place measures that facilitate MD adherence to safe prescribing.
We have provided free buprenorphine waiver training for providers and opened up existing Narcotic Treatment Programs (NTPs) to prescription opioid-addicted patients. We are working towards providing buprenorphine bridges in the emergency rooms to begin treatment for opioid use disorder.
by making Naloxone education and medication available through high-impact community placement: with law enforcement, in prisons, rehab centers, the needle exchange program , and on college campuses.
by educating the public, such as Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), on the dangers of accessible prescription opioid reservoirs in our homes.
Our work with the coalition has enabled us to form networks of support throughout our county, working together with local government, law enforcement, educators, large hospital systems, small clinics, and community centers, joining resources and good will to make our community safer.
Thus far we have been able to stave off the national trend of ever increasing opioid related mortalities and we strive to keep it that way.