Los Angeles County is one of the largest counties in the United States. The distribution by race/ethnicity is 25% White, 49% Hispanic/Latino, 15% Asian, and 8% Black/African American. One on four people in Los Angeles County have reported a substance use disorder (SUD) in their lifetime.

According to coroner’s data, opioid-related deaths rose from 830 deaths in 2019 to 1506 deaths in 2020, a 180% increase. Of the deaths in 2020, 1125 of them were due to Fentanyl. This amounts to a 979% increase in Fentanyl-related overdose deaths since 2016. In 2021, about 40% of Los Angeles County inmates reported a SUD at intake.

There are a robust number of resources within Los Angeles County. The county offers medication assisted treatment (MAT) through both induction and maintenance of two popular FDA approved medications. They also offer therapeutic services to address mental health concerns related to substance use. However, they would like to begin offering Methadone as a medication for opioid use disorder and seek to become a fully accredited Opioid Treatment Program (OTP).

Due to the size of the county and significant population of homeless individuals, there is also a gap in linking and tracking individuals to MAT care once released from jail. The county would like to improve continuity of care to ensure all eligible individuals are maintained with MAT programming post-release, regardless of housing or income status.