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The HEROES program is designed for individuals seeking long-term recovery from opioid use disorder. We provide the following set of clinical and behavioral services at no cost in our program.
*While the services provided by HEROES are provided free of charge, participants are required to pay for any prescriptions either with insurance or out of pocket.
Participant eligibility includes adults over 18 years with history of prior opioid-related overdose or opioid use disorder. At this time, we are only able to assist English speaking patients.
The Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (Heroes) is one of the flagship programs of the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research. Heroes is a national clinical trial (NCT #03396276) providing street outreach to individuals who have called 911 for drug overdoses or have been treated in an affiliated hospital emergency department. If enrolled, individuals will receive rapid induction with buprenorphine, and comprehensive medical and behavioral treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Heroes also provides groups, individual coaching, and ongoing peer recovery support.
The Heroes Program maintains an outpatient research clinic based at the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics facility, with medical oversight by emergency physicians and staffed with advanced practice providers. The program offers medical, behavioral health, peer support, and other services. Heroes has been continuously funded since 2018 and has enrolled more than 1,500 individuals, distributed more than 4,000 units of Narcan across the state of Texas, provided educational programs reaching nearly 12,000 and has served over 30,000 in all awareness, education, primary prevention, and treatment efforts. Heroes is funded through grants from Texas Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), as well as the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH NIDA).
The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of opioid use disorder and opioid-related overdoses across Southeast Texas, and to develop a comprehensive care coordination system to improve retention of patients in long-term treatment. We will help patients engage in treatment, recovery, and follow-up to improve their chances of long-term recovery and improved quality of life. Our program involves novel medication in the emergency department, follow-up from licensed emergency medical technicians, outpatient medication-assisted treatment, and ongoing recovery coaching. Our program is funded by an award from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) targeted opioid response program.
If you are looking to enroll in our program, please contact our program coordinator by email at [email protected]. Or call us at 713-500-3597.
The first step involves meeting in person to complete an informed consent and other necessary paperwork. We will then walk you through the program’s benefits and time commitment.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
What is Buprenorphine and how can it assist in medication-assisted treatment?
https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/treatment/buprenorphine
Drug Overdose Deaths by State
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/drug_poisoning_mortality/drug_poisoning.htm
This comprehensive system of care involves participation with emergency physicians, psychiatrists, emergency medical technicians (EMT), licensed professional counselors, certified recovery specialists, pharmacists, police and fire departments.
Some of our partners include:
HEROES Intervention
The role of recovery coaches at HEROES
What we offer at HEROES
