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Community-Led Innovations: Reducing Overdose Deaths through the HEALing Communities Study

Updated: 1 day ago




The NIH HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was a large implementation study conducted in 67 communities across four states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio) that tested a set of evidence-based interventions and approaches for reducing overdose deaths. Central to the study was the Opioid-overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA), which provided a menu of evidence-based practices to guide community action. These practices focused on opioid education and naloxone distribution, medication for opioid use disorder, and safer opioid prescribing and dispensing. Communities participating in HCS were encouraged to select and implement strategies that best aligned with their specific needs and contexts.


This webinar spotlighted innovative programs from four diverse HCS communities. Presenters shared insights into their community's specific challenges, the strategies they selected from the ORCCA menu, the outcomes achieved, and key lessons learned throughout the process. Attendees gained insights from real-world examples, learning what worked and what didn't and how these efforts can serve as models for broader application in various settings.


Speakers

  • Dr. Redonna Chandler, Director of the HEALing Communities Study at the National Institute on Drug Abuse

  • Abby Spears, Executive Director at Scioto Connect

  • Ben Goldman, Community Health Administrator of the Behavioral Health Equity Team at the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

  • Monika Salvage, Project Director of the Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and Substance Use Diversion Program at Cayuga County Mental Health

  • Pedro Alvarez, Director of Harm Reduction Operations at Tapestry

  • Moderator: Dr. Scott Walters, Regents Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center

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