Trainings and Resources

Justice-involved populations are disproportionately affected by the opioid and overdose crisis. In fact, people who have been incarcerated are roughly 129 times more likely to experience a fatal overdose in the first two weeks after their release compared to the general public due to reduced tolerance during incarceration.1 Despite the fact that evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is the standard of care in the community, and has been proven to reduce risk of overdose and mortality, it remains widely unavailable in most correctional facilities. However, that is slowly changing. Correctional staff, medical professionals, incarcerated individuals and politicians are beginning to advocate for MOUD. JPOP aims to address the need for accessible information about medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder in the criminal legal system. We encourage you to engage with the resources and tools and links on this website to help to improve treatment for opioid use disorder in your community

This study looks at how common the presence of alcohol is in opioid overdose deaths. While there are "waves" of the opioid crisis, the authors studied how alcohol affect individuals in this fourth wave as it is characterized by opioid-stimulant polysubstance use.

To help local leaders respond to this epidemic, USDA has worked to build infrastructure for prevention, treatment and recovery, facilitate partnerships, and drive innovation in rural communities.

The Post-Overdose Response (PORT) Toolkit was developed as a resource for North Carolina communities who are interested in creating a post-overdose response team (PORT) in their jurisdiction.

Drug overdose is a nationwide epidemic that claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in the United States in the past year.   Opioids, either alone or in combination with other drugs or alcohol, were responsible for approximately 70 percent of these deaths. Many of those 70,000 people would be alive today if they had been administered the opioid antagonist naloxone and, where needed, other emergency care. 

Last year, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) launched a resource meant to help local health departments (LHD) prevent or mitigate potentially traumatic events, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool (SPACECAT) allows LHDs to make an internal assessment of their capacity to address and prevent a still-growing public health issue.

Numerous medications that are now available over-the-counter were once prescription-only, including antihistamines, nicotine replacement therapy, and certain analgesics. These nonprescription switches have benefitted public health efforts by establishing universal access, a prime example being the emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel), a safe and effective treatment to prevent unintended pregnancy. Contrast this vignette to the current opioid overdose epidemic, now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 2019 to May 2020, more than 81,000 overdose deaths occurred in the United States, the highest number yet recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We are pleased to share that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has rolled out a new 988 website today – available at samhsa.gov/988. The 988 website is designed to serve as your one-stop-shop for 988 resources from SAMHSA. Notably, we want to make sure you’re aware that the site contains a 988 partner toolkit. The partner toolkit is intended for SAMHSA’s 988 implementation partners (crisis call centers, state mental health programs, substance use treatment providers, behavioral health systems, and others) to provide key messages, FAQs, and more information about what 988 is and how it will work.

In New York City (NYC), there were 2062 overdose fatalities in 2020, the deadliest year on record for NYC and the US. Fentanyl and its analogs were the most common substances involved in overdose deaths in NYC, present in 77% of such deaths in 2020. A characteristic of fentanyl-involved overdose is rapid onset of overdose symptoms; however, with timely administration of oxygen or naloxone, deaths can be averted.