Click on a topic below to learn more about the how-to guide, success story, and additional resources.
Evidence-Based Practices
- Leave Behind Naloxone: A strategy used by emergency medical services to leave naloxone at the scene following an opioid overdose with individuals who overdosed and/or their friends and family
- Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Jails: MOUD in jails focuses on providing incarcerated and recently released individuals FDA approved medication for treating opioid use disorders. Providing MOUD upon release reduces risk of overdose deaths, disease transmission, and decreases the likelihood future incarceration.
- Naloxboxes: Naloxboxes contain two doses of free naloxone nasal spray, which is medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, and provides instructions for use, allowing bystanders to reverse an opioid overdose if they witness one. Naloxboxes are frequently placed in accessible, public areas.
- Mobile Medical Units: Mobile medical units reduce transportation barriers and improve accessibility by offering naloxone distribution, harm reduction services, opioid use disorder treatment linkage, and primary care in remote locations.
- Transportation (coming soon!): A major barrier to accessing treatment for opioid use disorder is lack of adequate transportation, especially for rural communities. HCS implemented several strategies to address this issue.
- Peer Support (coming soon!): Peer support is a non-clinical, community-based support system for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders.
- Vending Machines: Harm reduction vending machines were installed in multiple counties as an overdose reduction strategy to dispense naloxone, wound care kits, hygiene kits, and other items.
Health Communications
- Communications Campaign: Health communication campaigns were a key aspect of the HEALing Communities Study. They aimed to promote evidence-based practices, increase demand for naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder, and reduce stigma towards those with opioid use disorder.
Engagement of Special Populations and Sectors
- People with Lived Experience: People with lived experiences (PWLE) are those with firsthand experience of substance use disorder, including families and friends. They drive coalitions to better support affected individuals and reduce stigma.
- Engaging Faith-Based Organizations: Engaging faith-based organizations (FBOs) are unique groups to provide overdose prevention education and recovery resources/services, as FBOs are pillars of communities with many members and connections.
- African American Engagement Workgroup: The African American Engagement Workgroup was created in response to rising drug overdose rates in African American communities in Hamilton County, Ohio. They’ve focused on harm reduction, education, and stigma reduction, promoting increased awareness and access to treatment.
Data
- Data-Driven Decision Making (coming soon!)
- Finding and using local data sources (coming soon!)
Other Guides and Success Stories
- Photovoice: Photovoice engages community members in participatory action research through photography to address health challenges. Co-researchers, who are people directly affected by these health challenges, document community assets and challenges through imagery, analyze images, and propose solutions to influence health policies.