APT Foundation Launches 'Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment' Campaign to Expand Urgent Access to Opioid Use Disorder Care

In response to the urgent overdose and opioid crisis, the APT Foundation has launched Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES, June 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In response to the urgent overdose and opioid crisis, the APT Foundation has launched Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment, Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Works, a bold public awareness campaign advocating for immediate access to life-saving care for individuals struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD). This summer, the campaign will appear across Greater New Haven via billboards, radio spots, digital ads, and a powerful animated video that will be featured on APT Foundation’s website and social channels, urging swift action to eliminate treatment delays.

According to a joint study by the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control released in 2023, more than 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, and over 70% of those deaths involved opioids. Yet fewer than 1 in 5 people with OUD currently receive the medication they need.

“This is a public health emergency that we already have the tools to fix,” said Dr. Lynn Madden, President and CEO of the APT Foundation. “Every day someone in Connecticut dies waiting for treatment that could have started today. This campaign is about sending a clear message: no more waiting, no more barriers.”

Campaign Focus: Urgency, Access, Dignity
The Let’s Break Barriers to Treatment campaign reframes OUD care as urgent medical care, not only a long-term rehabilitation issue. The campaign calls on healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public to recognize that timely access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—like methadone and buprenorphine—can prevent deaths, support recovery, and reduce harm immediately.

The campaign’s priorities include:
Same-day access to MOUD—no more waitlists or unnecessary appointments

Consistent OUD screening and treatment protocols across healthcare systems

Public education to reduce stigma, including provider outreach
A Proven Model in Connecticut
APT Foundation has operated one of the state’s most accessible MOUD programs for more than 50 years. Open as early as 5 a.m. and accepting walk-ins, the clinic offers same-day access to treatment without lengthy intake processes. Patients have praised the program’s respectful, welcoming environment and swift care delivery.
“I knew I’d get help that day—that’s why I came here, and why I stayed,” said one patient. “No judgment. Just treatment.”

Despite the program’s success, systemic delays, regulatory hurdles, and cultural stigma still keep many from timely care—with tragic consequences.

“We don’t delay treatment for strokes or heart conditions,” Dr. Madden added. “Opioid use disorder is just as urgent. We need to treat it that way.”

Join the Movement
With over 2 million Americans currently living with OUD and opioid-related deaths outpacing traffic and firearm fatalities, the APT Foundation is calling on us to lead the nation in transforming how addiction care is delivered.

Learn more or get involved at https://aptfoundation.org/breakingbarriers/

About APT Foundation
The APT Foundation promotes health and recovery for individuals living with substance use disorders and/or mental illness by providing low-barrier, evidence-based treatment. Serving over 8,000 individuals annually across five clinical sites in New Haven, APT offers same-day care through walk-in evaluations six days a week—welcoming all, regardless of ability to pay. As a leader in the Open Access Model, APT has reduced treatment wait times from weeks to hours and partners closely with the Connecticut Department of Corrections to reach justice-involved populations. APT also engages in cutting-edge research supported by the NIH and regularly hosts community forums and overdose prevention training to raise awareness and expand access to care. Learn more at https://aptfoundation.org/

Notes to Editor
According to U.S. estimates, over 2 million Americans live with opioid use disorder. (some estimates place this number at over 7 million)

https://heal.nih.gov/about/research-plan
Approximately 1 in 5 US adults with this condition get the treatment they need.
https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2023/08/only-1-in-5-us-adults-with-opioid-use-disorder-received-medications-to-treat-it-in-2021

Opioids cause more deaths than traffic accidents or firearms.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/opioid-charts-explainer/

Every overdose death represents up to 30 non-fatal overdoses.
Casillas, S. M., Pickens, C. M., Tanz, L. J., & Vivolo-Kantor, A. M. (2024). Estimating the ratio of fatal to non-fatal overdoses involving all drugs, all opioids, synthetic opioids, heroin or stimulants, USA, 2010–2020. Injury Prevention, 30(2), 114-124. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38290778/

The current high rate of opioid-induced overdoses is preventable.
Lee YK, Gold MS, Blum K, Thanos PK, Hanna C, Fuehrlein BS. Opioid use disorder: current trends and potential treatments. Front Public Health. 2024 Jan 25;11:1274719. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38332941/

Jennifer Charmicael
Red Rock Branding
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