START-SD has grown to become a three-pronged project: with focuses on support for opioid use disorder, support for psychostimulant use disorder, and overdose response. The START-SD work reaches six South Dakota counties, including Brookings, Yankton, Lyman, Roberts, Hughes, and Codington. Our goals are to 1. Slow the opioid epidemic and help impacted individuals and families get the care they need to thrive, and 2. Promote healthier coping strategies for and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with psychostimulant use disorder, and 3. Reduce morbidity and mortality associated with overdoses related to substance use through promotion of harm reduction and increasing access to treatment and recovery services through education, training, and placement of peer recovery coaches.

Straight Up Care will be training individuals wishing to become peer specialists in these six counties and will be establishing a voucher program on our telehealth platform to make sure people in these counties get the support they need.

To apply for the training and start your journey on a new career as a peer specialist begin by filling our your information on this page: South Dakota Peer Specialist Training

For those needing services or resources, reach us via our Contact Page

Learn more about START-SD-OR at https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2023/09/start-sd-program-begins-new-work-reduce-overdose-rates