Those with opioid use disorder (OUD) are sometimes reluctant to seek out face-to-face counseling and treatment due to the stigma attached to addiction. Anonymous helplines thus serve an important role in making services available to those who might otherwise forgo it, reducing their risk for opioid overdose. The Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA established an opioid helpline serving both the university and surrounding counties. The helpline offers live counseling Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm and uses an answering service to field calls after hours. Resources provided by the helpline include:

• Education about the safe use of prescription opioids
• Individualized coaching sessions on addressing OUD
• Counseling on mindfulness and meditation techniques
• Referrals to clinics providing medication for opioid use disorder 
• Links to recovery resources, both local and national

This readily accessible, low-cost, and easy to use intervention to provide and link to services was funded by the university's strategic investment funds. 

A pilot study of the helpline suggests it is effective in providing needed services; contact information about the program is available at the helpline website.