The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will open two new Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in Houma and Bogalusa, bringing the overall number of Louisiana OTPs to 12.
The evidence-based behavioral health treatment facilities will increase access to treatment services for 400 to 1,200 individuals per month.
LDH’s Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) has selected Behavioral Health Group to operate the new facilities following a competitive open call for applications and an exhaustive review of provider qualifications.
OTPs are authorized to dispense methadone as part of a clinically-monitored Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), considered the gold standard for treatment of opioid use disorder.
The facilities are expected to open in June.
They are located at:1812 Prospect Blvd., Houma (Region 3: South-Central Louisiana); and 412 Ave. B, Bogalusa (Region 9: Florida Parishes).
There has been a steady increase in the number of fatal overdoses involving opioids in Louisiana. According to the most recent data from the Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System (LODSS), which collects data certified by coroners, opioid-involved deaths increased by 67%, from 588 in 2019 to 982 in 2020. From 2012 to 2020, opioid-involved deaths increased 514%.
