Opioid Solutions Strategy Briefs

Youth-focused programs, including school-based programs, may help support young people and their families, strengthen community connections and mitigate the long-term negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences. 

Naloxone is a “rescue” drug that quickly and safely reverses opioid overdose. It is available as an injectable solution and as a nasal spray. Naloxone works by blocking the effects of opioids in the body. Virtually all opioid overdose deaths are preventable if naloxone is administered in time. 

Syringe services programs (SSPs) provide low-barrier access to sterile supplies for safer substance use, naloxone and overdose prevention tools like fentanyl test strips and drug checking services. SSPs also provide a range of other services, such as options for safe syringe disposal, overdose recognition and response training and help accessing services for HIV, substance use disorders and more. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three medications that safely and effectively treat opioid use disorder (OUD) to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with OUD. MAT is defined by on-going, long-term treatment with one of these three medications. 

As the owners and operators of systems of service that regularly interface with people affected by substance use such as hospitals, jails, courts and community colleges, counties are well positioned to link community members with evidence-based options for care, especially medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). 

Comprehensive services integrate multiple forms of substance use, mental health and case management services and may include: evidence-based treatments for SUD, integrated mental health treatment services, housing support, transportation support, employment and educational services, income support, social support, legal services and child care. 

Our health care system’s capacity to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) falls far below the current demand for care. Only 1 in 4 people who need MOUD are able to access them. A multi-pronged approach is needed to build up the treatment workforce, create effective pathways to care and save lives. 

A warm hand-off is a form of referral to treatment or other services. A typical referral gives someone information about how to reach the services they need but may leave them to contact those services on their own. In contrast, a warm hand-off is a transfer of care between service providers through face-to-face, phone or video interaction in the presence of the person being helped.

Post-overdose response teams (also called quick response teams or post-overdose outreach programs) conduct outreach and offer services to people who have experienced an overdose within about 72 hours of the overdose event.