State Opioid Response (SOR4)
IPS’s SOR IV project strengthens community understanding of opioid, stimulant, and polysubstance use while reducing stigma and improving access to treatment among immigrant families in San Diego County’s South Bay and Border Region. Rooted in cultural traditions – including the well-known rhyme “Sana, Sana, Colita de Rana” – the project uses the “healing frog’s tail” as a familiar symbol of resilience and community wisdom.
Working alongside a trained network of promotoras (trusted health workers), youth leaders, and community partners, IPS delivers bilingual, trauma-informed outreach at culturally-centered events such as Día del Niño, Día de los Muertos, and community posadas. Through school wellness fairs, community pláticas, and neighborhood-based activities, IPS provides education on overdose risk, counterfeit pills, stimulant misuse, naloxone, and fentanyl test strips, while offering warm referrals to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and behavioral health providers onsite.
Promotoras co-facilitate listening sessions, stigma-reduction workshops, and peer-centered storytelling campaigns that highlight recovery narratives and strengthen community connection. IPS also expands access to care through bilingual training for promotoras, new referral agreements with treatment providers, and navigation tools delivered through La Vocera, IPS’s Spanish-language digital platform.
Together, these strategies reduce stigma, elevate community voice, and create accessible pathways to healing for immigrant and Latine families throughout the South Bay and Border Region.
